


Here We Go Again

by LilisBooks



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mamma Mia! Fusion, Based on a Musical but it's not a song fic, Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Groot is a horse in here, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multi, Peter Needs a Hug, Promise, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Superfamily (Marvel), Superhusbands (Marvel), Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-05-20 00:32:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14884202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilisBooks/pseuds/LilisBooks
Summary: Peter has always wanted to know who his Father is.The only problem?There seem to be three candidates for the job.The Mamma Mia AU nobody asked for.





	1. I Have A Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I'm new to this fandom (well, writing for it) but I've been reading fics for Stony these past few months (since Infinity War actually) and this idea came to me as I started to read more stories about these particular pairings.
> 
> But anyway, my knowledge of the characters is based on the cartoons like Avengers Assemble, Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Ultimate Spiderman (which is where I took the inspiration for this particular Danny Rand, not the MCU). 
> 
> Also, this work is unbeta so if you catch any mistakes, those are mine, and as English is not my first language I'll ask you to be patient with me, please. This is for everyone's fun.

Have you ever felt like something is missing? Like, despite having everything, there’s something that isn’t quite right, like all your life is been leading up to something, something that will make everything make sense?

Well, that’s how Peter had felt for the entire 23 years of his life, seeing all his friends hanging around with their families and having a fun time, wishing to have a Father who would contrast his Dad's antics and form the family he always wanted.

Don’t get him wrong, he was more than happy with the family he had. With his Dad, who loved him more than there are words in all the languages in the world, his uncles Bruce and Clint, who raised him alongside his Dad, and JARVIS, the AI Tony built when Peter was a little baby.

But it was his mysterious Father who haunted him the most. See, when Peter was old enough to start asking questions, especially about his Father, the only thing Tony told him is that they met during one “magical summer”, where time seemed to stop just for the two of them… right until his Father had to leave the island in a hurry to never come back, breaking his Dad’s heart in the process.

Peter didn’t even know his name, but ever since that moment, he knew that meeting his Father would solve that feeling of something missing, and he’d feel complete for the first time in forever.

Would he be an engineer like his Dad? A government agent like Uncle Clint? The type of doctor Uncle Bruce claimed he wasn’t? A different man, more sensitive, more tough, more relaxed? Would he like to sing and dance? Was he good at sports? Peter had so many questions about his Father, and so little to go on, the mystery began growing and growing with each passing year, with Tony being as unhelpful as ever by refusing to answer even the simplest questions and just replying with vague words. Not that it ever stopped Peter from wondering.

But then he found the diary, the one where Tony wrote about that “magical summer”, and oh boy did it solve a lot of questions. Unfortunately, it also presented him with new questions, even more confusing than the ones that were asked before. But nonetheless, he was determined to meet his Father, no matter what.

And what better time than now, just a few days from marrying his soulmate, the beautiful Shuri, where he had the perfect opportunity to figure out who that mysterious guy was and finally getting the answers he had dreamt for his entire life? And maybe even walking down the aisle with his Dad and Father by his side.

With that image in mind, he slipped three envelopes into the mailing box, addressed to Steve Rogers, Stephen Strange and Peter Quill.

Soon, he would have the answers to all of his questions.


	2. Honey, Honey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason I made Clint Peter's uncle and not Rhodey is because I like the dynamic Clint and Tony have in AA and I think it fits this story pretty well. 
> 
> But don't worry, Rhodey *will* appear later in the story, promise

The letters had been sent and they were on their way to their rightful owners, and while Peter was anxious for their meeting, he knew they would come. The diary made it pretty clear that, despite everything that had happened between his Dad and those three men, they had loved his Dad very much and their relationships had been short but meaningful.

With the diary secure in his pillow, Peter fell asleep with the promise of a future full of happiness and family, all together celebrating his wedding and their reunion. 

…

It had been a few days since Peter had gotten the answer to his letters, and the anxiety was as high as the first day, but later that day both Ned and Danny would arrive as his best men and he would tell them everything he had learnt about his Fathers.

Pacing nervously through the harbour, he spotted his best friends descending from a boat that had seen better times and almost screamed with pure joy, as it had been a while since the three of them were together.

“If it isn’t the man of the moment!” Danny said with a smile on his face before hugging Peter with all his strength.

“Our young little Padawan is becoming a man” Ned added once Danny had let Peter go, clapping the young man on the back and almost pushing him to the floor.

“I’m so happy to see you, guys,” Peter said excitedly as they all grabbed their bags and put them in the back of a truck “I have so much to tell you.”

“Like how much you’ve dreamed about becoming Shuri’s husband?” Ned teased as he closed the trunk.

“Or like how much are your Dad and your Uncles driving you insane with their wedding planning?” Danny asked as they made their way to the truck seats.

“Can we walk to the hotel?” Peter asked suddenly, startling both of his friends.

Danny and Ned exchanged a look. Normally when Peter wanted to walk to the hotel it was because there was something in his mind and he wanted time to sort it all out. Nervous, they both agreed, making Pete smile too widely due to his anxiety.

Not waiting for an answer, Peter went to talk with Happy, the driver and bodyguard, about the change of plans. Suspicious, Happy agreed, with the condition that if Peter took more than an hour to arrive at the Hotel he would personally hunt him down. Not having another option, Peter agreed.

As soon as Happy was out of sight, Peter walked towards a hidden path surrounded by trees, knowing his friends were right behind him. Thoughts started filling his mind, like what if he had done something wrong and all of those men laughed in his face at his pathetic attempt at contacting them? What if they had seen right through him and decided not to come? What if they didn’t love his Dad and they had just played him? What if…

“Hey Pete, are you alright?” Danny asked, interrupting his train of thought, concerned at the look on his friend’s face.

“Yeah, you seem a little pale” Ned added, after taking a long look at his friend.

Sighing, Peter sat down at a rock and held himself tightly. 

“Sit down, please,” he said, refusing to look them in the eyes, “there’s something I need to tell you… And you’re probably going to be mad at me.”

“What did you do?” his friends asked in unison, startling them all a little.

“I invited my Father to the wedding,” he said, both excited and worried about their reactions.

“What? Pete, that’s awesome!” Ned exclaimed, happy for his friend. Everyone who knew Peter knew how much it meant to him meeting his Father, so it was a pretty big deal to know his identity.

“You know who he is?” Danny asked, excited for his friend.

“Not… exactly,” Peter answered, sheepishly.

Instead of saying anything, his friends each just raised an eyebrow. 

“Remember that I’ve always wanted to know who my Father is, but Dad never gave me anything concrete and just kept telling me vague things?” he started, letting himself go “Well, I was sick of not knowing, and I found this diary my Dad kept during the summer he met my Father hidden in the bodega and…”

He stopped, afraid of what they would say.

“And?” both of them said, wanting to know what he found.

“I took it and read it!” Peter said in a rush, all of his anxiety pouring out of him like a river. Luckily, his friends were fluent in Peter-is-anxious-so-he-talks-really-fast and understood him completely, “and… can I read it to you? It would mean a lot and would actually help me understand a lot of things that I don’t and well, it’s my Father you know, it’s a pretty big deal and you mean the world to me guys, well not including Shuri because she’s my whole life, and I want to share this with you and…”

“We’ll read it with you, Pete,” Danny said, putting a reassuring hand in Peter’s shoulder “let’s get that diary.”

“Actually…” Peter began while showing them the famous diary, a little red notebook with a lot of napkins and sheets of paper fighting to get out.

“That’s definitively your Dad’s!” Ned said with a laugh.

Peter laughed nervously. 

“Relax Pete, and let’s read it together,” Danny said while grabbing the young man and sitting him down on the rock. Together, the three friends began reading about Tony’s adventures while he was young. 

“ _ July 17th _ ” Peter began reading, a little nervous “ _ What a night! I met this gorgeous man, Steve, who’s not only caring but fun and sexy as hell. We danced on the beach, we kissed on the beach and… dot-dot-dot.  _ ”-

“Wait, what does “ _ dot-dot-dot _ ” mean?” Ned asked, interrupting the reading.

Peter went full red before answering the question.

“' _ Dot-dot-dot' _  is what they said back then when talking about sex” Peter explained, a little mortified himself about that fact. He did not want to picture his Fathers doing it, thank you very much.

Both Ned and Danny choked on their saliva.

“Well, your dads were fast,” Ned said, before laughing so hard he fell off the rock. Despite himself, Danny laughed a little as well.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Peter said, standing up before he started walking the path “you want to continue or not?”

“Yes, please!” his friends replied eagerly, before following him through the woods.

“ _ July 31st. Steve is the one. I know he is _ .” Peter read out loud as he dodged the lower branches, “ _ I’ve never felt like this before. He understands me better than anyone and… _ ” this is weird”, Peter stopped, “it seems like my Dad crossed some things there, look” he said, showing to his friends.

“That is weird”, Danny agreed, concerned about what was behind that action, “what do you think happened?”

“Do you think Steve is your Father?” Ned asked, curiously, watching as his friends were mulling over that.

Peter grimaced at both questions but kept walking up the hill.

“The plot thickens,” he said, before reading out loud from his Dad’s journal “ _ August 1st. All this time Steve’s been telling me that he loves me, and now he’s announced that he’s engaged so he’s gone home to get married and I’m never going to see him again. _ ”

“Oh, no” Danny murmured, feeling sympathy for Tony.

“Poor Tony,” Ned said, feeling his heart twist at those words.

“So, wait, what happened next?” Danny asked, confused.

Instead of answering, Peter began climbing the stairs that would lead to the town. Feeling like there was enough altitude, he stopped and continued reading. 

_ “August 4th. Quill rented a motorboat and I took him over to the little island. Though I still miss Steve and wonder about him, Pete’s so wild and such a funny guy one thing lead to another and… dot-dot-dot” _

“Wait, Pete?” Ned asked, more puzzled than before “As in… Peter, like you?”

“So, there are two potential Dads?” Danny asked, more like looking for clarification than anything else.

“Kinda” Peter replied, vaguely, “there’s more” he added, then turned to the diary once more and continued climbing the stairs.

_ “August 11th. Stephen turned up out of the blue, and I was really glad to see him as he’s so sweet and understanding. I just couldn’t help myself and…” _

“ _ Dot-dot-dot! _ ” the three friends said at the same time before starting laughing. 

Peter hugged the diary close to his heart, knowing this was a piece of the past he was so eager to figure out.

“And then there were three,” Ned said after they all had calmed down.

“And then there were three” Peter repeated, sounding a little defeated.

For a while, no one said a thing as they walked through the town and stopped right in front of Tony’s hotel, SHIELD.

“But, who do you think is your Father? Steve, Peter or Stephen?” asked Danny cautiously as he leaned in the door frame.

“I don’t know!” Peter exclaimed, panicking a little, pacing in front of the entrance.

“Wait. So, who did you invited to the wedding?” Ned asked, confused.

Peter did not answer, but his awkward smile and blushed betrayed all they needed to know.

“You have to be kidding me, Pete!” Ned exclaimed, between incredulous and excited.

“Do they know?” Danny asked instead, thinking in his mind all the possible outcomes for this scenario.

“Yeah right” Peter answered sarcastically “because the first thing you write to a stranger is ‘Please come to my wedding you might be my father.’” he laughed nervously before revealing his entire plan. “No, they think Dad sent the invitations and, judging by this diary, there’s not a surprise that… THEY SAID YES.”

“What?!?!” neither of them could believe what they were hearing.

“They’re coming to the wedding!” Peter exclaimed, shouting all the conflicting feelings he had inside his heart and his head.

Ned and Danny exchanged a look. They knew that Peter’s plan could end fantastically well or terribly wrong, but no matter the outcome, they will be there for their friend, like they always had.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!


	3. Honey, Honey Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Steve's POV, and I hope I've done some justice to his character. 
> 
> Also, Bucky was a potential father for Pete, but it didn't feel right to have the two best friends fighting for Tony's affections. So Bucky will be the best bro in this entire galaxy... for the both of them.

Steve sat at his desk looking at the letter in his hands. But his mind wasn’t there. No, it was 24 years ago in a little beach in Italy where he met the love of his life. Lost in his memories, he failed to see both Bucky and Sam entering his office.

“Hey punk, what’cha got there?” Bucky asked as he took the letter from Steve’s hands, snapping him out of his daydream.

“Hey, give me that!” Steve exclaimed, standing up and going to where Bucky was.

“Oh, a fancy invitation!” Bucky exclaimed, mockingly “what is it for Stevie?”

“You know what? For being a grown ass man, you’re really immature” Sam said as he grabbed the invitation from Bucky’s hands and gave it back to Steve.

“Thanks, Sam,” Steve said gratefully as he put the letter in his pocket.

“What was the invitation for?” Sam asked curiously as he sat in one of the chairs in front of Steve’s desk. Bucky followed his lead, and that told Steve his friends were going to stay in his office for a while.

Checking his watch, he sighed with relief. He still had three hours left before he needed to catch the plane to Italy. 

“Is a wedding invitation” he answered reluctantly, sitting on the edge of his desk facing his friends.

“We don’t know anyone who’s getting married,” Bucky said, listing in his head all the friends they had and their children.

“ **You** don’t” Steve answered nonchalantly.

It’s not that he didn’t want to share with Bucky and Sam the news that Tony had finally reached out to him after all these years, but he knew he screwed up when he left him at the island. And he didn’t need his friends to remind him that.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Bucky asked, eyeing him curiously as if he was a puzzle to solve.

“Who do you know that’s getting married?” Sam asked instead. 

Steve sighed. This was not going to be easy.

“Tony’s son,” he said in an almost whisper, but not quite enough that his friends didn’t hear it.

“Tony’s son?!!?!” they asked in unison, both thrilled and startled.

“As in Tony, TONY?” Bucky asked, incredulously.

“ **The** Tony?” Sam asked, trying to act cool but not entirely succeeding.

“Yeah, Tony” Steve answered with a sigh. Even saying his name brought Steve memories that made his heart flutter in his chest. 

“Wow,” his both friends said, not knowing how else to respond.

“Yeah, I know,” Steve said, passing a hand through his hair.

“It’s just that… I thought he was never going to contact you, I mean, it’s been 24 years” Bucky said, sounding sheepish.

“Wait, how old is the kid?” Sam asked with a frown on his face. 

Steve blinked, unsure of what to say. He didn’t know, but he couldn’t be older than 24. Tony didn’t have any kid when they met, but could it be…?

“Regardless of his age, what are you going to do when you arrive at the wedding?” Bucky asked, interrupting Steve’s train of thought.

“Who says I’m going?” Steve asked raising an eyebrow.

Neither of his friends said a thing, but by the look on their faces, they were actually considering him to be an idiot which, fair enough, he kinda was. It  **was** a stupid question.

“I don’t know, I…” Steve was lost. He had always hoped to see Tony again but now that it was a possibility? His knees grew week and he was a young man all over again.

“Well, now’s your chance,” Sam said, standing up and patting him on the shoulder “The divorce has finally come through and you’re once more a single man.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but Sam is right,” Bucky said with a grin “this is your chance to finally be with Tony like you wanted all those years ago.”

Steve grimaced. His marriage with Sharon had been good, but she wasn’t Tony, so he could never be happy, and after realising they both were unhappy, Sharon had asked for a divorce. However, he couldn’t stop himself from feeling a little guilty for being thrilled about that.

“Do you think he’ll take me back?” Steve asked, instead of voicing the thoughts that were going through his mind.

“Stevie, he sent you a wedding invitation to his son’s wedding” Bucky answered, like he talking to a little kid “it might not be the grand gesture you want, but it’s Tony and he wouldn’t invite just anyone for something about his family.”

“Bucky is right,” Sam said, then made a face as if he had swallowed a lemon “you’ll never know unless you go there and ask Tony himself.”

Checking his watch, Steve decided it was time to leave for the airport.

“You’re right,” he said excitedly to his two friends as he started gathering his stuff to run to the airport. From behind the desk he grabbed his suitcase and faced Bucky and Sam “I’ll ask Tony for a second chance and I’ll prove to him how good we can be.”

“Whatever you say, punk,” Bucky said with fond exasperation at his friend’s romanticism before hugging him.

“Keep us posted!” Sam said as he hugged his friend goodbye.

“And good luck!” They said in unison as the door of the elevator closed in front of Steve’s face.

He was so nervous he could practically vibrate himself in his molecules to Caligari, Italy and finally be close to Tony after all this time. 

…

Things rarely went the way Steve needed them to go, the latest example being that his plane had been delayed and he was just in time to not miss the boat that would take him to Caligari. But alas, just his luck, he missed the boat and the next one didn’t sail until the day after tomorrow, just in time to miss the rehearsal.

“Missed the boat to Caligari?” asked a deep voice from his right side, startling him a little.

Trying to appear cool and collected, Steve turned to face the voice. At his right, there was a man not much taller than him, with bright black hair, with some grey hair here and there. He had a goatee than kind of reminded Steve of Tony, making his heart ache just a little more. Thanks to his luck he was going to miss even more time away from the man.

“Yeah,” he said, bashful, with one hand on the nape of his neck. He offered his other one to the man in front of him “ I’m Steve Rogers” he offered with a smile.

“Dr Stephen Strange,” the man replied, a little too smug “nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, Dr.” Steve said with a warm smile “so, you were going to Caligari as well?”

“Indeed. I was invited to a wedding” Strange replied, sounding a little disappointed “but I guess I’ll just arrive at the ceremony.”

“Me too” Steve answered, sympathizing with the man.

“The groom or with the bride?” Strange asked, his interest spiked.

“The groom, you?” Steve answered as he tried to find if there was another boat leaving the port.

“The groom as well” Strange replied, sounding contemplative “although I’ve never met him.”

“Me neither” Steve replied, earning a hum from the other man.

“Interesting” Strange said, mostly to himself. 

_ That’s one way to put it, _ Steve thought as he passed a hand through his face.

“Need a ride to Caligari?” asked a man standing at the mast of a boat in front of them.

While Strange had an air of sobriety and class, the man in the boat was chaos and wilderness. His hair was pointing in no particular direction and his beard, while good looking, was almost on the verge of neglect. 

“Hi! I’m Peter Quill, Captain of the Milano” Peter said as he jumped in front of them and offered them a hand “ I’m heading towards Caligari, so you’re free to join me.”

“And what will it cost us?” Strange asked, sceptical.

“Nothing!” Quill exclaimed, resting it of importance, “today for you, tomorrow for me.”

As both men said nothing, Peter continued.

“Besides, I’m going to the wedding as well, so it’ll be better if we all arrive together” he finished with a smile.

Steve’s gut told him this man, while reckless and a little on the side of irresponsible, was someone trustworthy, and his gut was never wrong. So, grabbing his bag, he accepted Quill’s offer by shaking his hand. 

“C’mon Doctor, live a little” Steve said as he climbed the Milano. 

“Yes Strange, be spontaneous!” Quill said with a laugh while offering his hand.

Sighing, Strange shook Quill’s hand and grabbed his luggage from where he was standing.

“Just so you know,” he said, trying to hide how nervous boats made him “I get seasick easily, so I won’t be much help.”

Steve and Quill just smiled and nodded at the man’s antics, certain that the trip was going to be very interesting indeed.


	4. Money, Money

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! We have Tony's POV. 
> 
> I like to think that in this AU, Tony is transexual, hence the pregnancy.
> 
> I also have no idea how to combine canon with this AU, but hopefully, I'm not doing a bad job. I want to include Fury, Coulson and Hill as SHIELD's employees but I'm working as to how to include them in the narrative. 
> 
> Also, also, I've changed Michelle for Shuri because well, I like that pairing more. Why did I not think of that change earlier? Beats me. 
> 
> And yes, I'm naming the chapters according to the songs of the musical because I couldn't help myself.

Tony Stark never complained, not even when Howard disowned him after getting pregnant with Peter, nor when Steve left him to get married. Not even when he had to start from scratch to build his hotel and make it what it is today.

But boy did he wanted to complain, at least just for the dramatics.

Business was good, but it could be better. The hotel was functional, it was the most popular for when visiting Caligari (in fact, it was the only one) and it had some of the most advanced technology the world had ever seen. He had a hard-working staff that was both passionate and committed to the island, wanting to preserve its beauty. The problem was that not a lot of people went to Caligari.

He had dedicated more than half of his life to make SHIELD thrive, with JARVIS working as his personal assistant and Bruce and Clint helping in the administration and maintenance of the hotel, same as he did. Even Peter made his college life around the hotel, majoring in Administration and Tourism alongside Engineering, and inviting Shuri along the way. 

SHIELD was more than a hotel, it was the way their little family had come together. And to think it all began in a dream on a napkin on a summer night.

“Are you still complaining inside of that mind of yours?” Clint asked as they were working on the bathroom from 3B that had a malfunction… for the third time… that day.

“I am not complaining” Tony answered as he drained the water that was spilling from the sink.

“You are” Bruce added as he appeared from the tub that was inexplicably clogged.

“You are,” Clint said as he looked at the toilet.

“I am” Tony admitted with a sigh “ it’s just that… almost every day I’m giving money away to keep SHIELD afloat and… nothing. It’s always the same. The same problems, the same malfunctions…”

Frustrated, Tony shoved the tools aside and sank to the floor, with his hands in his hair.

“I wish I had a rich husband who could take care of all my needs” he whined in his knees.

“Yeah, ‘cause they come in little boxes that are sold at every store” Clint mocked from his position, on his knees in front of the toilet.

“Can’t blame a guy for dreaming, right?” Tony said glaring at Clint.

“And tell me, how will you meet this imaginary rich husband?” Clint asked, sarcastically.

“Easy” Tony shrugged “I’ll take all of SHIELD’s earnings, pose as a rich guy at the nearest cruise and bet all the money, catching the eye of this perfect man, and we will sail into the distance forgetting about everything and everyone. I’ll be the perfect husband while he manages the hotel.”

There was a moment of silence before the three men in the bathroom broke into laughs.

“Yeah right,” Clint said as they all had calmed down from their laughter “I’ll be blind the day Tony Stark lets a man take control of his life or his hotel.”

“Shut up Clint, it can happen,” Tony said half-heartedly.

“You, Clint and I know that’s not even remotely true Tony,” Bruce said from his side of the room with an amused smile “You’d rather die than give control of SHIELD to anyone but Peter.”

“Or Shuri” Clint added as he started working on the toilet once more “God knows you love that kid more than anything.”

Tony smiled, remembering how Shuri had gained his heart from the very beginning.

“But seriously Tones,” Clint said a moment later “ If we really need money to keep SHIELD afloat you should ask Colonel Rhodes for a loan. I’m sure he’ll say yes.”

“Pfft,” Tony answered, dismissing Clint’s concern “SHIELD is just fine and Rhodey has more concerns than me. If things were really bad, I’d call SI.”

At the mention of his father’s company, both Bruce and Clint gulped. They knew about Howard and Tony’s childhood, after all, they’ve been friends for a while now, ever since college, so for Tony to consider SI… things would have to be really bad.

“But things are fine” Tony reassured his friends once more “we just need more people, and with Shuri’s plan we will be getting the triple number of visitors by the end of the year.”

“Triple?” Bruce asked, a little overwhelmed “we’re going to need a lot more staff then.”

“I know Brucie bear” Tony sighed, standing up and approaching his friend “but I would never put you in a position to add to your anxiety and stress. Promise.”

“Thank you, Tony” the scientist replied fondly.

“And what about me?” Clint asked, half mocking, half feeling left aside.

“You too, birdy” Tony replied with a wink “You both mean the world to me.”

“Aww Tones, I knew you cared” Clint laughed as he began to work once more “sweet talking won’t get you out of repairing that sink, though.”

“And here I thought being the owner will give me that privilege” Tony joked as he lowered himself under the sink. 

No, he didn’t need money to keep SHIELD afloat, but God did he like the idea of having money.

...

As Tony, Clint and Bruce reached the lobby of the hotel, they stumbled upon a very excited Peter and a very anxious Ned and Dany. Sensing they were up to something, the three adults approached them cautiously. 

“Danny! Ned!” Tony exclaimed once he was in their earshot “You’re finally here!” he added as the three young adults startled and flushed.

“Hey, Mr Stark!” Danny exclaimed as he was the first one to recover “How are you?”

“Danny, please just call me Tony,” he said with a laugh “we’ve known each other for what… 20 years?”

At that, Danny just shrugged. They both knew this exchange, it was as usual for them as breathing.

Clint, as the most suspicious of the three adults, began the questioning in a subtle manner.

“So… what are you up to?” he asked cautiously, giving his best attempt at subtlety.

Bruce and Tony could only roll their eyes at Clint’s “effort”. He wasn’t known as a subtle man. 

“Nothing!” Peter exclaimed, too fast for Tony’s liking “We were just, you know, catching up.”

“Mhm,” Tony answered, not trusting his kid. He knew him better than he knew himself, and he could tell Peter was up to something. The what was troubling him though.

“You seemed like you were having fun” Bruce commented as a way to lower the tension.

“We used to have a lot of fun in the past, didn't we Bruce?” Tony asked, thinking back to their past.

“Oh, we know,” Ned said, almost immediately, receiving glares from both Danny and Peter.

At that, Tony stared, trying to decipher the meaning of those words… what were they up to? Bruce, on his part, looked confused, and Clint? Clint snorted, trying to hold back the laughter. 

“Okay…” Tony answered, not knowing what else to say “Peter, have you done your chores for the day?”

“But Dad” Peter complained, “It’s my…”

“I don’t care if you’re about to get married in three days, or whatever” Tony interrupted “you still have chores to do, young man, and they won’t be done by any of us.”

“But what about Dum-E, or U or Butterfingers?” Peter asked, hopeful.

It’s not that he didn’t want to do his chores, which, he didn’t, but that wasn’t the point. No, it was the fact that his fathers were set to arrive anytime now and well, he didn’t want Tony to know just yet, it was going to be a surprise.

“Dum-E, U and Butterfingers are busy with some major repairs in the main plaza, so off you go, mister” Tony replied, his tone not leaving room for an answer.

Sighing, Peter complied, with his friends right behind him.

“Fine, I’ll do it” Peter sighed, “But Ned and Danny will help me,” he said, pointing to his friends, which startled them both.

“Oh, my beautiful Peter” Tony said as he looked at his son once more, “so young, so full of potential…”

“Dad, relax, geez,” Peter said, embarrassed, blushing and looking at his friends who were trying to hide their “aw”, “I’m just getting married, not joining the army.”

At that, Tony’s blood got a little cold, remembering what Steve had gone through, thinking what if his kid would’ve done the same… Before he knew, Peter was walking away from him with his friends by his side and with a painful twist in his heart, Tony walked the other way.

“Don’t you think you were a little harsh on the kid?” Clint asked as they made their way into the plaza “It’s his wedding week, he just wants to have a little fun.”

“I know, Clint” Tony said after a sigh “Is just that I have this weird feeling and I want to keep things as normal as possible.”

“It’s called empty nest syndrome” Bruce added, not looking at his friends “and it’s because Pete is going away with Shuri.”

“As if” Tony huffed “They’ll be back in two weeks to begin their plan for SHIELD and possibly take over the world.”

“We don’t stand a chance against those kids” Clint agreed.

As they walked through the town, people asked Tony, Clint and Bruce for money, like the fisherman for the catch he hadn’t been paid for, or the handymen waiting for their payment over the repairs of the pavilion. Money poured out of their pockets as if it were diarrhea and Tony sighed once more.

Yes, it was tiring, but so rewarding in the end.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You really have no idea how excited I am to post the next chapter.


	5. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that It took me so long to update, but now I have a beta and I'm really happy about it! 
> 
> Thank you so much [lovefromcaelina](http://archiveofourown.org/users/lovefromcaelina) for being helping me out with this fic. It means a lot to me. 
> 
> I'll try to be more constant with the updates, but school is getting crazier so I can't make any promises.

Steve may have never been on a boat, but he sure was a natural on one, much to the delight of Peter Quill, as Stephen Strange was as useless as they come (and as he had warned).

“Are you sure you weren’t born in a boat? “ Peter asked, incredulous and baffled.

“Yeah, I’m sure” Steve answered, amused.

“Nah, I’m calling bull” Peter replied, “I bet you have a Captain’s hat somewhere and you’re just messing with me.”

“I mean, I was on the army,” Steve said as an afterthought “but never got past the soldier range.”

“Bullsh…” Peter began to say before being interrupted by Strange.

“Although my friends do like to call me Cap, tho,” he said with a smile, making Quill laugh.

“Gentlemen, I think we have arrived” Strange said in his usual calm demeanour.

And in front of the Milano, was Caligari in all its glory. The memories flood the three men on the boat, making them smile with fondness. Steve was anxious, more than 20 years without seeing Tony had made a mess out of him but if there was one thing he was sure in life, it was the fact that Tony Stark was the love of his life.

He just hoped he and Tony still had a chance. 

…

On their part, Peter, Ned and Danny were busy unloading the truck with all the tables for the wedding, while they were talking about Peter’s plan… or more the lack thereof.

“So, you have invited your three possible fathers to the wedding,” Danny said as he opened a foldable table “with what purpose exactly?”

Peter sighed.

“So he and Dad can walk me down the aisle,” Peter said with a glint in his eyes.

“I don’t think the aisle is wide enough, you know,” Ned said with a laugh, causing Peter to throw him an envelope “hey!”

“Shut up, Ned,” Peter said, glaring at him “the  _ three  _ of them won’t be walking me down the aisle.

“Then why invite all of them?” Danny asked, genuinely curious.

“Because I don’t know who my father is” Peter answered with resignation “but I’ll know who my father is the minute I see him.”

“Really?” Ned asked, dubious “How?”

“I’ll just know it” Peter explained, hope glowing in his eyes “I’ll look right at him in the eyes and I’ll just know it.”

Danny and Ned exchanged a look, not able to break Peter’s delusion. At that moment, the only thing they could do for their friend was to hope things would turn out right and he would finally be reunited with his father. 

However, before they could say anything, Peter looked up and saw something that made his heart jump out of his chest and start running towards it, leaving everything behind without a second thought. His friends stared in shock, not knowing what to do as Peter had left so quickly and abruptly. It didn’t even register until it was too late.

…

As the three men walked around the island, their hearts began to become reckless, eager to see Tony once more and reunite with the man that had changed their lives in just a short period of time. Once they saw SHIELD, Tony’s hotel, the three of them stared in awe at what the once upon a time engineer had designed on his own. 

On his part, Steve’s heart ached at the thought of Tony building their dream without him, but he was proud of the man nonetheless. He knew Tony could do whatever he put his mind onto.

Before they could even reach the front desk of the hotel, a young man with fuzzy, curly brown hair and deep blue eyes came out of nowhere and intercepted them right before they crossed the door, looking out of breath and anxious all of the sudden.

“Hey-hi,” the young man said breathless, “What can I help you with?” he asked, looking at the three of them, “Are you looking for someone?”  

“Tony Stark” the three men stated in unison, startling each other in return.

_ Oh, shi… _ was all Pete could think as he stared blankly at the three men in front of him. Nothing gave away who his Father was like he had believed, and he had the nagging feeling he hadn’t planned this all that well.

“Oh, yes of course! We’ve been waiting for you” Pete said with a forced smile as he approached the men “My name’s Peter, I’m Tony’s son. Welcome to Caligari.”

“You’re the one that’s getting married?” Quill asked, a little sceptical and dumbfounded.

“That’s me,” Pete said with a loving smile. Thinking about Shuri always made his eyes soften and his heart swell...

“Congratulations,” said the three men at the same time. At this point, it was getting creepy.

“Is Tony waiting for us?” Steve asked, eager to see Tony, and a little anxious about it if he was being honest with himself.

“Right this way” was all Pete could say before turning around and walking away, trusting that the three men would follow him. Which they did, even if they were suspicious, to say the least.

Peter guided them through some of the most unusual paths to get to his dad’s shed, but he didn’t want any of them to bump into someone and ruin everything by telling his dad.

That was a conversation he wasn’t ready to have.

…

“So, you know Tony?” Steve asked nonchalantly at the other men beside him as they walked through the woods of the island. He tried to appear casual but one of these men was probably the one Tony was with when Steve had tried to get him back the first time. 

Peter was walking ahead of them, not looking back and Steve could feel the kid’s anxieties all the way up to where he was. He wanted to ease the kid, if only because he was Tony’s son and, in another world, possibly his.

“Yeah” Quill answered with a shrug and a lopsided smile “I brought him on my boat around 20 years ago and, well… you know” he added with a sly smile. 

It’s not that Quill wanted to be an asshole, but the possessive tone on Steve’s voice rubbed him the wrong way. He liked the guy, but he had a feeling Steve was the guy that had hurt Tony really bad all those years ago and well… he remembered how heartbroken Tony had been and how much he had tried to make him smile.

On his part, Steve saw red, but it was not his place, and he wasn’t sure there was a time where it was, so he let go of his anger and just sighed in return.

“Yes” Strange replied with a curt nod as well, once Quill was done “I met him in Paris and followed him to this island a few weeks later. He was something else back then” he added with a wistful tone and a lost look in his eyes.

He still remembered the first time he met Tony, back in Paris, when he was fresh out of college and not sure where to go next. Med school sounded like a far-fetched dream, and being in a rock band made him feel free and with a future so far ahead, he didn’t have to worry about it. But Tony had changed that, from the minute that he smiled at him.

The three men dwelled on their past with the engineer, lost in the what if or what could’ve been, not noticing that the answers to their unasked questions were about to be presented to them in the most unexpected way.

…

Once Peter saw the shed, a smile appeared on his face, and he began walking faster. His Dad barely went to the shed, as it had so many memories of his young self, not all of them good. Pete only knew the good stories, but he also knew in his heart that having these three men at the wedding was going to help his dad heal by dealing with some of the things of his past. It would be good... for both him and Tony.

To enter the shed they had to open a scuttle, which earned more than a grunt from the older men, but when all four of them were in the shed, an awkward silence fell on them.

“Okay, this has been fun, but can we go to our rooms now, please?” Strange said after eying the room they were in.

“Where’s Tony?” Steve asked “Not that I don’t appreciate the tour of the island, which I do, but it’s just that… well…” he added, embarrassed as he kept talking.

“I have a confession to make,” Peter said eagerly, with excitement barely in check “My dad has no idea you guys are here.”

“What?!?!” the three men exclaimed in unison.

“He’s been really excited about the wedding and he’s been an amazing dad so… I wanted to thank him by inviting three of the most important men in his life.” Peter said with a shrug.

“You’re definitely Tony’s son”, Steve said with a fond smile and warmth in his voice, making Pete feel warm as well. 

“And how exactly do you think Tony is going to take the news?” Strange asked, with his voice a little clipped, as the thought of Tony not knowing he was there changed everything.

Pete’s smile faded away.

“I know it sounds crazy,” Pete said with a sigh “but I know he really cared about you guys and… I thought this was a nice way for all of you to reconnect.”

“And it was a lovely thought” Quill conceded as he placed a hand in Pete’s shoulder “even if a little impulsive.”

“I’m sure your dad will be happy” Strange agreed, putting a smile on his face. Seeing this young man heartbroken almost broke his heart as well.

“You think?” Peter asked excitedly. He knew he should keep his cool around the men, but it felt good to hear them reassure him, even if they were lying.

“We do,” the three men said in unison once more, even if neither of them believed so.

Peter nodded, happy to have his… dads’ faith in him.

“Stay here and I’ll come and fetch you in a while” he added with a smile as he turned around and walked towards the door.

“Is there a dryclea…” Stephen began to say right before Pete slammed close the scuttle they had come in through, making Quill and Steve laugh.

Strange only glared at them before continuing unpacking.

…

Tony saw Peter sneak away from the shed, raising his suspicions that his son was up to something. He knew the boy was restless (in his eyes, Peter would always be his little boy) and eager for the wedding, but Pete’s behaviour was more than just wedding thrill, no, he was cooking up something… and Tony had a feeling it was going to bite him in the ass (and not in a fun way).

As he cautiously approached the shed, he could hear some noise and people talking, like people were there which, no, that couldn’t happen, the only people allowed in that tiny space were Clint, Bruce, Shuri, Pete and Tony himself. It was a private family space, not a communal one, so for people to be there… what was Peter up to?

Opening the scuttle slightly, he nearly fainted when he saw who exactly was inside his private shed, with his heart stopping for a millisecond right before wanting to get out of his hands.

Stephen looked... different, more stylish and elegant. Looks like he did manage to get into med school after all and was successful by the looks of it. He remembered Stephen with the rocker style, the black eyeliner and nail polish, with his torn t-shirts and jeans, nothing like the guy in the suit in front of him. 

Quill look almost the same, except that his hair was shorter. Same coat, same wild style that was almost bordering homeless. He remembered when he first saw him and saw wilderness and freedom, things he craved that Howard had forbidden him from experiencing. Oh, the memories.

And then… he saw Steve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, I saw Mamma Mia Here We Go Again so I'm going to take a little inspiration from that film to fit into my story. Not all of it, don't worry if you haven't seen it as I won't spoil the movie for you, but just enough that will make everyone's backstory (especially with Tony) a little richer. 
> 
> Also, more songs so yei!


	6. Mamma Mia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New update! 
> 
> Hope you guys like it! 
> 
> And again, thank you so much [lovefromcaelina](http://archiveofourown.org/users/lovefromcaelina) for helping me out with this story. You're the best. 
> 
> Thank you ABBA for writing this amazing song.

Steve Rogers was on Caligari.

_ Steve Rogers was back on Caligari. _

**_Steve Rogers was back on Caligari_ ** .

And he looked as handsome as that first day, with the sun shining and highlighting how blonde he was, his cheekbones looking as sharp as ever, skin glowing in the light and making Tony’s knees go weak. He remembered the first time Steve smiled at him, on a stormy night when he first arrived at Caligari and he knew, at that moment, that Steve was one of a kind…

Funny how it turned out that he was just like everyone else. 

No, this could not be happening, Tony had let it go a long time ago. He was not pining for Steve Rogers, not anymore. He had cheated Tony for a long time before Tony realised that maybe Steve was playing with him, treating him as just someone to pass the time. So, Tony made up his mind and decided it had to come to an end, telling Steve to go back to his fiancée.

But if that was true… why was he feeling like this, like the mere sight of Rogers made him lose control and started an uncontrollable fire within his soul? Like with just one look at Steve, he could swear he was hearing a bell ring, and one more look at him had Tony forgetting everything that had happened between them, leaving just the want to run into Steve’s arms.

_Mamma Mia_ , Tony thought, as he realised he couldn’t resist Rogers when he looked like that. With that fine beard, those muscles that still showed through his shirt, a shirt a size _too_ small to be PG 13, a smile that could take literally your breath away… 

No, he closed the scuttle as quietly as he could before starting to actually panic. Should he tell Clint and Bruce about the uninvited and unexpected guests? They both knew about his story with the three men, but they were still a little mad with how things had ended with Steve…

Yes, he had been broken-hearted, one might say blue since the day they parted, but why had he let Steve go?  Should he have fought for him? Asked him to not go back to his girlfriend? To choose him over her?

No, Tony couldn’t do that… even if every fibre of his being begged him to say those words on that unfortunate morning when he discovered Steve’s and Sharon’s picture in the little house on the hill. She was beautiful, the perfect match for Steve. Blonde, tall, breathtaking, with a warm smile that transferred even through a picture.

But then it posed the question… why was Steve here? Was he looking for Tony? Did he feel the same way? Was there hope for the two of them even after all these years? Did Tony even want to try to be with Steve once more? Even after all they’ve been through?

How he had missed Steve, those kisses that could put his skin on fire, that could lift his soul and make him believe in soul mates and happily ever after. But no, he had lied to Tony from the very beginning, hurting him in the process and breaking his heart as no one else had. But then again, it was  **Steve** .

His heart was racing a 1000 miles per hour, making Tony think everyone could hear him. He had to be discreet if he wanted to catch sight of Steve without being noticed by the beautiful man. Slowly and with some of the training Clint had shared with him on the countless nights he couldn’t sleep, he climbed the wall of the shed in order to reach the window. 

As he climbed towards the window, Tony remembered how sad and angry he had been after Steve left the island, when he had yelled at the architect “we’re through”, how many times he cried over him and what could’ve been if Steve had chosen to remain by his side.  _ I´m losing it,  _ Tony thought as he reached the window; he remembered thinking that if Steve had walked through the very same door he had slammed when he left, Tony would’ve run towards him and never let him go. He wasn’t strong enough to deny how much he had loved Steve in the very short time they had been together. 

The window was blocked, so he had to keep climbing, all the way onto the roof, where there was another scuttle that Tony could peep through and see without being seen. His heart never stopped racing, it even speeded faster as he approached the top of the little shed. Millions of thoughts crossed his mind, all Steve Rogers related… He was behaving like when he was in his twenties again, hearing bells ring at the sound of Steve’s voice that, although muffled through the walls, was as rich and deep as it was when they first met.

Butterflies filled his insides, making everything feel like jelly and his mind go blank, forgetting everything around him. There was no point in resisting to fall for the man. Not now, and certainly not back in the ’90s. 

…

As Peter walked away from the shed, he started thinking over his “potential fathers”. None of them seemed to ring any bell on him nor did he feel the need to be close to one of them in particular, rather he felt an especial pull towards the three men altogether, like all of them, had a part of him and he had a part of each one of them. 

But before he could dwell on that particular feeling, he saw Danny and Ned running towards him, with worry and fear written all over their faces.

“Why is your dad climbing that shed?!?!” both of his friends exclaimed in worry as they pointed at the building on his back.

Confused, Peter turned around to see his Dad climbing the left wall of the shed, the very same shed where Steve, Strange and Quill were hidden from everyone and everything. His Dad seemed scared but determined. Like he had seen a ghost, but instead of running away from him he wanted to run towards it and kill him once and for all. 

Terrified for the consequences, and fearing for his Dad’s sanity, Peter began running towards the shed, with Ned and Danny on his back.

…

Tony finally reached the roof, and as he stared at the closed scutter he started thinking, what if Steve was only around to remember old times, but nothing really serious? What if he just wanted to escape from his marriage like he wanted to escape from his life back then? Was he still married? Widowed? Divorced? Any children? Would he accept Peter? Had he met Peter? 

Peter… His mind and heart stopped. How would Peter react at this? The kid had always wanted to know his Father, but Tony couldn’t exactly tell him the truth without disappointing his son in the process. He had loved in different ways each of the three men beneath him, but if he was honest, he feared that if Peter knew how he had been conceived, he would be sad for Tony and destroyed over not growing with another parent because of him. Peter’s happiness meant the world to him and he would do anything to ensure it, even if it meant to kick these men out of the island.

Without even realising what he was doing, he slowly opened the scutter, and thinking he was only going to see them once and walk towards them to kick them out, he dared to watch the scene inside the shed.

But God did the blonde man make his knees grow weak every time Tony saw him, as well as make him forget his own name. Deep down, where he was completely and utterly honest with himself, he knew that every day since they’ve been parted, he had hoped that their “leave me now or never” wasn’t serious, like it was a game they played, with “goodbye” not meaning forever.

It wasn’t until he actually heard the man laugh that he finally realised two things: one, he had missed Rogers with every fibre of his being and two, that, even after all this time, he hadn’t, and couldn’t, let go of Steve Rogers.

Which was just his luck, as it was the exact same moment he fell, right in front of the man.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It works better if you listen to the “Mamma Mia” song while you read this, I might have used some of the lyrics to write this chapter.


	7. Chiquitita

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've been working on some chapters for a while, so I'll be posting more in the upcoming days. 
> 
> Thanks for all your kind comments and words of encouragement, they mean a lot to me. 
> 
> Are you ready to see more of this AU? Because I can't wait to share it with you.

Thankfully there was an air mattress to soften his fall, but that didn’t stop the three men in front of him from being startled and speechless. Everyone wanted to see Tony once more but now that the man was there, no one knew what to say… well, no one except one Steve Rogers, who found courage at the sight of the love of his life looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

“You always knew how to make an entrance, Tony,” Steve said, amusement colouring his voice as he saw the small man land on the inflatable mattress that Strange was pumping up. The sight of the brunette made his heart ache and his body shiver. He had truly missed the man.

Quill quietly chuckled at the sight of Tony looking embarrassed, making the smaller and gorgeous man roll his eyes, but with no venom in his eyes. It had been a while since the last time he saw the man, but the same warm feeling he had felt the first time he saw Tony was spreading in his chest at the sight of the former engineer. He had always loved Tony’s smile and laughter, feeling it was his duty to put them on Tony’s face when he was sad. And apparently, some things never changed.

For his part, Strange looked at Tony with fondness. Tony had been his first love, the summer romance he had always dreamed off. Strange remembered how he had known from the minute he saw Stark that the engineer was going to be someone special in his life. And how he had made the decision to track him back to Caligari to see if there was more to that romance than just one beautiful night together.

“You three better be a figment of my imagination,” Tony said, in an annoyed tone, as he looked up at the three men, “or else I will be pretty mad at someone.”

“You want me to tickle you?” Quill asked, flirting and trying to ease Tony’s anxiety “so you know we’re real.”

“Keep your hands to yourself, Peter Quill” he answered with a smile and a laugh, not truly mad at any of them.

“You probably don’t recognise me anymore,” Stephen said, taking Tony’s attention completely.

Tony’s smile became fond and softer, sighing at the sight of the Doctor.

“Stephen?” Tony said tenderly as he smiled warmly at the man “Is that you?”

Steve was quiet but seeing Tony for the first time in years was making a mess of his head and his heart. He didn’t trust his voice or his body to not do something stupid. He had already messed up their first encounter, he didn’t want to make things worse, but he would never admit that his knees were about to give and he was fighting his every being to not grab the man and kiss him senseless until they both needed air. For Christ’s sake, he was a middle-aged man, so why did he feel like a teenager all of the sudden? And God, seeing him being so familiar with Quill and Strange made his heart ache even more.

“Yeah”  the Doctor replied with fondness colouring his voice, breaking Steve out of his thoughts “I might look different but you’re still the same”

“Mhm,” Steve said in awe, Tony was as gorgeous as ever.

Which was exactly the wrong thing to say, as Tony broke out of whatever spell he was in and looked at the man with annoyance. Quickly, Tony got up, ignoring the help offered by the three men, brushing them off and shaking any dust he had on him.

“Why are you here?” he asked as he started pacing around the small room inside the shed “What are you doing here?” he added, lifting an eyebrow in a questioning manner, daring them to contradict him or to not answer his question. And they all knew that was not a fight worth having.

“I’m writing an article,” Quill said easily and vaguely, with a cheeky smile.

“I took a spontaneous vacation” Strange said with a shrug, looking apologetic. 

“Ah… eh… uhm…” Steve said in a panicked moment, thinking Tony would reject him if he said the true reason of his journey “I… I just wanted to say hi.”

“Why now?” Tony replied, clearly not expecting that answer, “the three of you at the same time?”

“Well,” Quill with his usual wit “This is one of those rare moments where three complete strangers share the same idea.”

“Complete strangers?” Tony asked in disbelief “Am I really supposed to believe that all three of you decided to drop by at this very island at the same time when you don’t know each other?”

“Well, that’s usually the definition of coincidence, Tony” Steve replied nervously.

Fidgeting, Tony resumed pacing around the room, energy pouring out of his body and refusing to look any of them in the eye, not trusting himself around them, especially near Steve.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever” Tony replied, taking Steve out of his thoughts “but you can’t stay here,” he said with finality, lifting his eyes to look at them with conviction and strength “who told you that you could stay here in this shed?”

“I didn’t hear their name” Quill answered quickly, telling silently the other two men to follow their lead. 

“He was Italian,” Steve said to add more detail to their lie.

“He spoke Italian” Stephen added quickly. 

“Maybe he actually told us  **not** to stay here” Quill added as he looked at Strange and Steve alternately, all of them agreeing and muttering in excitement.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” both men said in unison.

“He was speaking in Italian” Steve confirmed once more said as an afterthought. 

“Yes, yes, Italian” Stephen nodded vigorously.

Internally, Quill rolled his eyes. These men were hopeless.

“Yeah, that’s exactly it, you can’t stay here,” Tony agreed emphatically. 

“Why?” Steve asked, confused, ignoring the looks the other men were throwing his way.

“Because this is a bodega, not a room, Rogers,” Tony answered with a glare, “and… we’re closed,” he added nervously, like a liar.

“Don’t you have available rooms?” Strange asked, calmly.

“Nope,” he answered with a forced smile, popping the p, “the hotel is completely booked, there are no more beds and I’m really busy. Really, really busy,” he added as he turned around and started gathering the men’s possessions for them.

The three men in front of him raised an eyebrow in incredulity and Tony sighed, tired. He couldn’t tell them the truth, because they would start making assumptions and asking questions and Tony was in no mood for that, he just wanted them to be away.

“Yeah, we are having this wedding,” he added as he continued “tidying” the room they were in, unable to look anyone in the face, “this… local guy is getting married and the whole town is making a big deal out of it, and we need this space to store the stuff for the wedding, so…”

“Don’t worry about that, Tony,” Steve said with ease, trying to comfort the man, “Quill is used to sleeping like this,” to which Quill agreed with a nod and a hum, “and Stephen, he is…”

“I’m spontaneous,” he said easily, which earned him an incredulous snort from Quill and an eyebrow raise from Steve. Even Tony looked at him with a questioning glance.

“And what about you?” Tony asked, finally looking at Steve at the eyes.

The weight of those eyes down on Steve, making him like the worse piece of scum and the bravest man in the world, all in all. Ignoring his heart, Steve gulped and looked at Tony straight in the eye.

“You know what this island meant to me,” he said in a whisper, trying to convey in his eyes all he was feeling but was not ready to say. 

It was too much, so Tony looked away.

“Yeah, right” Tony looking around the room, “I’m truly sorry but you can’t stay here,” he said with finality, crossing his arms and standing still.

“It almost looks like you don’t want us here, Tony,” Quill joked to ease the tension.

Tony sighed before looking at Peter and passed a hand through his messy hair to still his heart.

“It’s not that Quill, it’s just…” he sighed once more and dropped his eyes to the floor, “you picked a bad weekend to come here, that’s all.”

“We will be out of your hair in no time,” Steve interrupted Quill as the man opened his mouth to protest.

“You do that,” Tony said, escaping Steve’s eyes “And be sure to not be here when, if,” he corrected himself quickly, “I come back.”

“Sure thing, Tony,” Steve replied with a warm smile, which startled Tony and made him took a step backwards. 

As Tony started walking toward the lower scutter in the shed,  Steve joined him smoothly. The man wanted to be angry at Steve, and he was, but he couldn’t fight the warm feeling in his chest from spreading towards his cheeks and making him blush. Steve, finding that sight adorable, blushed in return. 

Strange, seeing that awkward and silent exchange, raised an eyebrow in astonishment, while Quill just nodded to himself and a smirk appeared on his features. 

Tony began walking quicker if only to put some distance between Steve and him, and Steve catching the hint, began slowing his steps, not before a thought crossed his head. He turned to look at the others, and silently, they all agreed.

“Tony” the three men called as Tony opened the scutter, making him turn around, “you look great,” they said with a flirty smile.

Rolling his eyes and turning around, Tony exited the shed, slamming the scutter in the process, ignoring the pain in Steve’s features.

…

Tony was walking fast across town, fighting back the tears that were threatening to leave his eyes, looking for Clint and Bruce or the nearest bottle of alcohol to drown his sorrows and purge the sight of Steve Rogers out of his mind once and for all.

It just wasn’t worth the heartbreak.

Soon enough he found them, both men bickering with the hotel manager, Virginia “Pepper” Potts, about the latest food delivery for the hotel, who had been mixed up with the wedding banquet.

“This is a mistake that’s going to cost a lot of money we don’t have,” Pepper was saying when he caught sight of Tony and a worried expression crossed his face, “Tony, are you alright?”

Confused, Barton and Banner turned around to find their best friend looking like a mess and two seconds away from crying or getting himself so drunk, regrets would be had in the upcoming hours. Tony wanted to just spill everything, say all the stuff he had been hiding for a long time, but he just couldn’t.

“Have you seen Pete?” he asked instead, with his voice about to break and his hands shaking.

“I think he went to the beach,” Pepper answered, concerned clearly on her voice.

Tony just nodded before he couldn’t stop himself and ran towards the bathroom, pushing people as he made his way. Phil Coulson, head of security, Happy Hoggan could only look at their boss with concern written in their faces. Stark wasn’t one to display emotions like that. After sharing one look, Clint and Bruce ran after him, with concern in their hearts. Never, in the years they had known Tony, had they ever seen him so heartbroken and lost.

When both men arrived at the bathroom, they could clearly hear their friend crying his heart out, murmuring every now and then just a simple “why?”. Their hearts broke for the smaller man, and with care and stealth, they approached the washroom door and knocked once. 

“Hey Tones,” Clint said, with an easy smile and a soft tone “tell us what’s wrong.”

“Is Peter alright?” Bruce asked, going for the same soft voice as Clint, ”We’ve never seen you like this.”

As the sobbings increased, they decided to go for the big guns.

“Hey buddy, no no,” Clint said, “we need Tony Stark.”

“Iron Man” Bruce added, “you know, the guy who the world doesn’t deserve?”

“Besides,” Clint began saying as he shared a look with Bruce, “the wedding is in two days and we need you at your best,” his smile dropped when he realised just how close the wedding actually was.

At that, Tony’s sobs just increased.

“How I hate to see you like this” Clint sighed, as he scooped near the door, looking at Tony through the low opening of the door.

“You can’t deny something’s wrong” Bruce added, as he stepped on Clint and looked at Tony through the higher opening of the door.

“We can see that you’re sad,” both men said before the door of the bathroom suddenly opened and a crying mess with the name of Tony Stark came crashing towards them, knocking them off the door and into the floor.

“Tony, tell us the truth,” both men said as they approached their friend, who was in the sink trying to stop his crying.

“We’re your shoulders to cry on,” Clint said as he reached the sink.

“Your best friends,” Bruce said as he sat on the sink, “the ones you have always relied on.”

Tony was sniffling and tears were still streaming down his face, looking at his friends through the mirror with despair written in his eyes. Bruce popped off the sink and he and Clint hugged him from behind, with Tony resting his head on Clint’s chest while Bruce played with his hair.

“You’re always so sure of yourself, Tones,” Clint said as he hugged the man tighter in his chest, “now you seem so broken, it’s breaking my heart.”

“Tony, you and I know that everything will get better,” Bruce said gently as with one hand he cleaned his friends face with a tissue and with the other kept playing with his hair, “just tell us what’s wrong so we can help you fix whatever is wrong”

“We’ll be dancing once again, and the pain will end,” Clint said as he let go of Tony, “you’ll see that there’ll be no time for crying.”

“Just tell us so we can patch it up together,” both men said as they grabbed Tony by the arm and sat him at the sink, which startled the man. Clint started throwing tissues Bruce’s way, making Tony laugh and Bruce sigh.

“Tones, the sun’s still shining, the birds are singing and there’s lot of things for you to invent tomorrow,” Bruce said, ignoring Clint and spraying some weird spray in Tony’s face, making the man cough in return, “just tell us what’s wrong and smile once more, like you always do.”

Tony looked at his best friends, the ones that had been with him since college through thick and thin, good, bad, and worse and have been a constant in his life, raising Peter with him and never questioning anything, and decided to lean on them as he did before.

“It’s his father,” Tony said in a whisper, hiccuping a little from the crying.

“Whose father?” Clint asked, confused.

“Pete’s father,” Tony confessed, looking away from his friends.

They said nothing, only looked at each other in shock. Tony never talked about Peter’s father.

“What about him?” Bruce asked, cautious.

“Remember how I always said that his father was Steve, the architect that had a fianceé and had left me to get married to her?” Tony said in a hush, strangely focused on his hands.

“Mhm,” his friends nodded, encouraging him to keep talking.

“Well… there might have been two other men around the same time,” Tony answered with a blush as he looked at the floor, earning a gasp from Bruce and a chuckle from Clint.

“You dog,” Clint said with a fond smile before a warm laugh, “I knew something had happened with that sailor.”

“And the rock star,” Bruce added with a smile, making Clint snort.

“Strange?” he asked, in disbelief.

Tony didn’t laugh, he only looked at them with sadness in his eyes while he nodded at Clint’s question.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Bruce asked, preoccupied for his friend once Clint had stopped laughing.

“I never thought I had to,” Tony said with a shrug. “They went away before I found out about Pete.”

“You’re not like this over the sailor or the guitarist,” Clint said as he sat next to Tony on the sink, “Steve Rogers still has an effect on you.”

Hearing Steve’s name was crushing his heart, and with a whimper, Tony rested his head on Clint’s shoulder, who in return hugged him closer.

“Oh, Tony,” Bruce said with sympathy as he sat on the other side of Tony in the sink and pet the man in a sign of comfort, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t,” Tony answered, waving his hand off and sitting up straight, “It was more than 20 years ago.”

“Yet you still love the guy,” Clint supplied as he let go of him.

“But why?” Tony asked, baffled, “we only knew each other for a few weeks, not even a month.”

“Love works in mysterious ways,” Bruce said wisely, as he tried to comfort his friend.

“That has to be the cheesiest line I’ve ever heard,” Tony said with a smile, “but thanks, Brucie bear,” and at Clint’s offended look, “and you Birdbrain.”

Clint snorted at that, before asking cautiously, “what are you going to do?”

Tony sighed, conflicted and torn.

“I honestly don’t know,” he answered, “I just know this is the worst time for them to be here.”

“Yeah, their timing seems a little off,” Bruce added, questions written in his eyes, “almost too coincidental for my liking.”

“I hardly believe it’s a coincidence that the three of them decided to arrive at the same time on the island and happened to crash into my shed,” Tony mussed as he jumped off the sink and began pacing in the room, “nothing is ever “just a coincidence”.”

“Wait,” Clint said, trying to contain his excitement, “you said that the three of them are in the shed?” 

“Yeah… why…?” but before he could even ask his question, both men ran in the direction of the shed, tackling everyone on their way.

_ Oh boy _ , was all Tony could think before running after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think Clint and Bruce are good bros


	8. Dancing Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! This is because I left you guys for so long and I'm really excited about this story!
> 
> I knew I said this is not a songfic, but I was having trouble with this chapter as I'm following the movie and this is what happens next. This can be treated as pure crack, I'll understand if you hate me 
> 
> Next chapter will be more interaction between Peter and his Dads, and he will learn a little more about their past with Tony. 
> 
> Things are getting good.

“Clint! Bruce!” Tony shouted quietly running behind his friends “Wait! Come back here!”

Clint and Bruce only sped up, wanting to see those three men after all this time. Soon enough, they reached the shed, much to Tony’s dismay.

“Don’t let them hear you!” he hushed once he saw his friends looking at the scutter like it held all the answers of the universe.

With a smirk, Clint climbed the stairs and opened the scutter, only to find the shed empty. Bruce soon followed him and was equally disappointed upon the sight.

“I thought you said they were here,” Clint said with a pout.

“They’re probably back into Quill’s boat,” Tony said with a relieved smile as he caught up with their friends, covering the pang in his heart and not seeing any trace that Steve Rogers had been there.

“You’re sure they were here?” Bruce asked with a raised eyebrow as he began descending the stairs.

“Like I could forget the sight of my son’s fathers,” Tony said with a clipped tone.

Once on the floor, Tony began walking back to the hotel, ignoring his friends running behind him. He could hear someone laughing, but he couldn’t care less if the laugh was directed at him.

“Does anyone know?” Clint asked as they approached Tony’s room, “did you ever tell anyone?”

“Like who?” Tony asked as he turned around to see his friend. “My dear old dad? Yeah, right. Knowing I was pregnant was enough for him to disinherit me.”

“Rhodey?” Bruce asked quietly. Everyone knew Colonel Rhodes was Tony’s childhood friend, his closest and most dear, but they also knew that Rhodes was dedicated to the military and hardly had time to be as involved as both men wanted.

Instead of answering, Tony only glared at Bruce.

“And why not us?” Clint asked playful, covering up the fact that he was a little hurt about Tony keeping that secret. They shared everything, always had been, always will be.

Tony, immediately catching up, smiled apologetically at his old friend.

“I didn’t want Peter to ever find out,” he said with a sigh as he jumped into the nearest chair.

And that made sense to Clint, as ever since Pete’s birth, Tony’s priority had been his son above everything.

“I think he’ll be perfectly fine with this information,” Bruce said as he approached Tony and put a hand on his shoulder, “he’s a very smart man and loves you very much.”

“Yeah, right,” Tony said with a huff, “this will shatter his entire world.”

“Well, they’re gone,” Clint said, trying to calm down the frantic man in front of him.

“I don’t know that!” Tony exclaimed with anger, “I don’t know where they are, why they’re here and it’s all my fault.”

“Your fault?” Bruce asked, confused at this turn of events. “Did you invite them and forgot?”

Tony narrowed his eyes at him before answering.

“No,” he said as he stood up and walk towards the bed, “I brought this onto myself because I was a stupid reckless little slut.”

And that, that took Clint and Bruce out of their bafflement.

“Woah, there!” Clint said, trying to hold back the laughter. “Where did  **_that_ ** came from?”

“You sound like your father!” Bruce said, with a barely contained smile.

“I do not!” Tony exclaimed, clearly offended at the comparison.

“Yes, you so do!” Both men exclaimed before bursting in laughter.

“Oh man, the life of solitude is really messing with your head,” Clint said with amusement, between laughs. “You’ve been living the life of a monk,” he added before bursting into laughter once more.

“What has happened to our Tony?” Clint asked once he had calmed down.

“The life and soul of the party!” Bruce exclaimed as he approached Tony’s wardrobe and began throwing clothes blindly.

“The master engineer!” both men said as they circle Tony and dressed him in ridiculous clothes.

“I grew up… unlike you two,” Tony said, clearly not amused at his friends' jabs.

“Well then, grow back down then!” Clint said with a smile.

“Yeah!” Bruce nodded, excited, “be on our level!”

“Screw anyone who cannot take a joke!” both men said before they turned around for more clothes.

Annoyed, but secretly glad at his friends' antics, Tony shed all the ridiculous attire he had and climbed on the bed, burying himself in the covers but looking expectantly at the blond and the brunette.

Suddenly, the speakers in the room began playing Dancing Queen by ABBA, Tony’s guilty pleasure and favourite song.

“Seriously JARVIS?” Tony asked in disbelief.

“Just fulfilling my purpose, sir” the AI replied honestly.

“Being a pain in my ass?” Tony asked, divided between being irritated and fond.

“Help you,” the AI replied before the lyrics began.

Clint and Bruce appeared in front of his bed, with enormous hats and fluffy scarfs, glasses bigger than their heads and glitter all over them.

“ _ You can dance! _ ” his friends said as they turned and pointed at him “ _ You can jive! _ ”

“ _ Having the time of your life _ !” Bruce sang as he put on a hat and began dancing towards Tony.

“ _ Look for the master engineer _ !” both men sang as they scooted down to the foot of Tony’s bed.

“ _ Friday night and the lights are low, _ ” Clint sang as he slowly danced his way back up, earning a laugh from Tony.

“ _ Looking out for a place to go _ ,” Bruce sang as he surprised Tony by landing on top of him. “ _ Where they play the right music, and everything is fine. _ ”

“ _ You’re in the mood for a dance, _ ” they both sang as they lifted Tony from the bed and began circling him with their uncoordinated dance.

“ _ Anybody could be that guy _ ,” Clint said as he opened the window and screamed to the world “ _ Night is young and the music's high. _ ”

Laughing happily at his friends’ antics, Tony began dancing and singing with them, leaving his bedroom behind and deciding to “take over the town” once more. While Tony was walking down the stairs, JARVIS started playing the song in the entire hotel, putting a smile on everyone’s face.

Unbeknown to them, there was someone else who was watching this whole ordeal, with a fond smile appearing in his face.  _ Maybe it’s time _ , the man thought as he disappeared into the shadows once more.

“ _ You're a teaser, you turn them on _ ,” Tony sang as he danced in the middle of the plaza, joined by Clint and Bruce. 

“ _ Leave them burning and then you're gone, _ ” Bruce sang as he waved to all the bystanders to come and join in on the fun. 

“ _ Looking out for another, anyone will do, you're in the mood for a dance _ ,” Clint added as he tugged Tony into the growing circle that had joined them, consisting of Phil, Pepper, Happy, Maria Hill, Pepper’s assistant and Rocket and Gamora, owners of The Ravagers, the town’s pub.

That was the funny thing, they know they were being “ridiculous”, but at the same time, everyone in Caligari loved Tony and would do anything in their power to see him smile. Tony did so much for others, barely anything for himself, and never expected anything in return. He was a little piece of sunshine and looking at him sad was like the universe was just wrong.

“ _ Feel the beat from the tambourine _ ” everyone sang as they improvised some dance moves, making it look even more surreal than it already was. “You can dance, you can jive!”

“ _ Having the time of your life! _ ” Happy sang as he hugged Tony with one arm, which the other man found endearing.

“ _ See that man! _ ” Pepper sang, pointing at Tony and approaching him with glee.

“Watch that scene!” Hill sang with a laugh, which caused Tony to laugh in return.

“ _ Diggin… digging the Master Engineer? _ ” Coulson said. He was trying to act nonchalant but looked way out of place, clearly uncomfortable, which made Tony laugh even more.

“ _ Diggin the Master Engineer! _ ” they all sang before bursting into a laugh and dropping to the floor.

Maybe Steve Rogers hadn’t loved him back then, but he clearly had friends who loved him in return, and that, that was enough.

…

On his part, seeing that Tony had left the shed without looking back, Peter, Ned and Danny relaxed and decided they should leave the men alone, thinking they needed a break after almost a day of travel.

“That was close,” Danny exclaimed as he slumped in a chair in Pete’s bedroom.

“Close? Close doesn’t even come  _ close _ to what happened back there!” Ned exclaimed in a fit of nervousness, making Pete chuckle.

“Relax Ned,” Peter said with a sigh, “they didn’t run into each other and all is good.”

“How do you know that?” Ned asked, curious.

“Because if they had, there would’ve been tears and shouting” Peter answered with a shrug. “We all saw how my dad looked over the Shedd and if it’s any indication, well…”

“And what about the wedding?” his friend asked, clearly puzzled at how Peter could be so relaxed.

“What about the wedding?” asked a light voice from the door, startling them all and make her chuckle in response.

“Shuri!” Peter exclaimed as he went towards his girlfriend and hugged her tightly in his arms.

Shuri laughed, clearly amused at her boyfriend’s antics.

“Hello to you too!” she said with a fond smile “I missed you at the lab today,” she added as she rested her head in Pete’s chest.

“I missed you too,” Peter answered, hugging her tighter than before.

“And what about us, Shuri?” Danny asked, with amusement clearly written in his face. They were adorable. “Have you forgotten about us?”

“Danny!” the young woman exclaimed before launching herself into his arms.

“Ned!” she added once she caught sight of the other man in the room, making him smile brightly.

Shuri had that effect on people.

Suddenly, they heard laughing and people cackling. Sharing a look between the four of them they approached the window carefully, only to be surprised with the sight of Tony, Bruce, Clint and all of SHIELD’s employees, including the terrifying Nick Fury, dancing and singing in a circle.

The sight both embarrassed and amused Peter, as he was more than used to his uncles’ antics, but after a moment he became worried. They only did this kind of thing when his dad was in a low mood, which was not very often as Tony tended to bury his feelings and focus on work. The only times he had seen him this gloom was when…

_ No _ ,  _ that can be it _ , Peter thought as he eliminated that line of thinking. Dad was upset because he was getting married and for so long there have only been the two of them against the world, so it was clearly bothering him to see his son getting married.

Looking at Shuri there was no doubt in his mind that she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She was funny, sarcastic, intelligent, beautiful and had a mind like no other. She was his other half and she made sense of his Dad’s words in his diary. 

He could understand how Tony felt when he met Steve and how devastated he would be if Shuri left him. Taking his fiancee back into his arms, Peter became silent and not for the first time wondered if his Dad ever felt lonely.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sorry for what I did to Nick Fury, even though I probably should.
> 
> I errased Nick Fury from this part because I want him to have a more... grandiose entrance if you know what I mean, like Cher in Mamma Mia Here We Go Again


	9. Our Last Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonding time between Peter and his Dads begin!
> 
> This is a short but sweet chapter, I'd like to think

 The next day, Peter woke up earlier than usual and after sharing a quick kiss with Shuri and passing on breakfast, which earned him a questioning look from his fianceé, he ran towards the shed, wanting to spend the whole day with his fathers.

To his surprise and disappointment, the shed was empty and there were no signs it had ever been occupied in recent years. With a twist in his heart, he quickly closed the scutter and ran back home.

"Pete!" Shuri exclaimed once she saw her fiancé looking pale and shaking, "Honey, what’s wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, evading her hands and attempt at comfort "have you seen Ned or Danny?"

"No," she said after a pause "are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," he said distractedly, as he climbed the stairs towards their room.

And just like he thought, there were Danny and Ned, scattered on their beds with not a care in the world.

"They’re gone!" he shouted, startling his friends and making Ned fell from his bed.

"Wha…?" his friend began to ask before being interrupted by Pete once again.

"Get dressed!" Peter shouted as he threw them the clothes he found on the floor "We need to find them!"

His friends were still woozy from sleep, making Pete more anxious than before.

"C’MON!!!" he shouted, anxiety pouring out of him.

Confused by Pete’s mood, both men quickly dressed and ran after him.

"Pete, what’s wrong?" Danny asked as he put on his shirt while running through town.

"They’re gone!" Peter sobbed as he sped up his pace.

Exchanging a glance, Danny and Ned run to catch up to him.

"What do you mean they’re gone?" Ned asked, confused "No ferry has left the island."

"What?" he said, turning around, almost crashing with his friend "how do you know that?"

"I memorised the schedule in case Danny and I missed our ferry", he explained calmly, a little concerned for his friend "and the next boat doesn’t leave until today at 9 am."

"So how did they get here after you guys?" Peter questioned as he sat down in the nearest rock.

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked, sitting next to him.

"They arrived way after you guys," Peter explained, passing a hand through his hair "almost evening."

"So maybe they have a boat…" Ned began to say before realisation dawned on all of them and turning around they ran towards the port.

Sure enough, there, at the distance, was a boat Peter had never seen before, big and colorful with  _ Milano _ written on his side. On top of the boat were the three men he had met yesterday and looking at them so far away from him, Peter felt a pang in his chest.

_ Shit,  _ Peter thought as it dawned on him that they might be leaving to never return.

"Wait! Please!" Peter shouted as he began running towards them "Don’t go!"

"Wait a minute!" Ned shouted at seeing his friend so anxious and running right behind him.

"You said you’d come!" Peter shouted as he took off his shirt and jumped into the sea.

"Peter!" his friends shouted at seeing Pete so unlike himself.

"Wait! Come back!" Peter shouted between swims as he tried to reach the boat as fast as he could.

Hearing the shouting, the three men turned to see the young man swimming towards them. Sharing a glance, the three of them approached the side of the boat and each offered Peter a hand. Looking at the hands, Pete’s anxiety went down a bit and decided to look up at their faces.

They all were wearing matching concerned smiles and the pang in his heart was replaced with a warm feeling spreading through his whole body.  _ Maybe they’ll come to my wedding,  _ he thought with a glimmer of hope in his mind. 

"We’re talking a tour around the island" Steve explained as he and Strange helped Peter pull himself up onto the boat "care to join us?"

"You- sa- said -you’d… come" Peter said, out of breath."

"Sit down and calm yourself " Strange ordered as he put a towel around his shoulders and pushed him towards the nearest bench "you’re going to get sick"

"We’ll go to your wedding, kiddo," Quill said as he lifted his eyes from the steering wheel "we made a promise."

"So… why… did.. you leave?" Peter asked as he hugged the towel closer to him.

"Well, we ran into Tony and he made it pretty clear that he didn’t want us there," Steve said, trying to act nonchalant and failing miserably. There was an obvious pain in his voice. 

"So we decided to get out of your father’s hair and come to the boat" Quill added, noticing Steve’s behaviour.

In response, Peter only nodded.

"I’d like to join you," he said hesitantly, scared of them running away "if you don’t mind."

The three men looked at him with bright, warm smiles.

"Of course, we don’t mind kiddo!" Quill said happily.

"The more the merrier" Steve said with an easy smile, though his eyes still looked sad.

"Wouldn’t want to spend our day any other way" Strange said fondly.

The same fluttering feeling made its presence in Pete’s heart, and for the first time in months, he didn’t care which of men turned out to be his father. They seemed to be great people over all. 

Suddenly, something caught his eyes and startled him a little. Following his eyes, the men on the boat looked at a guitar right next to Stephen.

"You stole my Dad’s guitar?" Peter asked, more curious than angry.

Realising how things look to Peter, Strange quickly lifted the guitar to show to a pair of initials, TS & SS _ ,  _ to the shock of everyone in the boat.

"No, I borrowed it," Strange said as he looked fondly at the cape "This used to be my guitar when I met your dad, back when I was in a band, see? Tony Stark and Sorcerer Supreme."

"Sorcerer Supreme?" Steve and Quill asked, baffled.

"Yeah" Strange confirmed with a longing sigh "I was quite spontaneous back then."

Amazed by this discovery, Peter sat down next to the man and contemplated him as he tuned the guitar. Deciding to drop the subject, Quill and Steve began working on making the boat ready to sail around the island.

…   
  


After a restless night, Tony glanced at the clock and figured it was the best moment for him to wake up and go on about his day. However, instead of going straight to the bathroom to begin his day, he found himself in the attic, looking around for a special box he kept hidden there.

Surely, there it was, dusty and moldy but in good shape, a small red and gold box filled with his memories of a particular summer, the summer he shared with Steve, Strange and Quill and ended with him pregnant with Peter.

Quietly, in a somber mood, Tony opened the box and let the memories flood him completely.

…

Peter was so much like Tony, Steve couldn’t help the pang in his heart at the possibilities that appear right in front of his eyes. His mind began wondering to the  _ what if _ , a world where he was Peter’s father, married to Tony and managing SHIELD like they always dreamed.

Peter had Tony’s mind, talking about the hotel and it’s possibilities, capable of seeing the future like Steve never could, talking about Tony’s bots, which Steve remembered fondly, and JARVIS, an AI Tony had created to help him raise Pete.

But he was also an artist, as Steve could see in his drawings and eyes, eyes that reflected the longing to explore the world beyond the island and see what the future held for him, which Steve could understand completely.

He wanted to know so much about Tony, about Peter, but he knew it was not his place to ask questions. Tony barely looked at him and it was clear the love and admiration Peter held for his Dad, close to the love and admiration he felt for Shuri, the love of his life.

"We met during a summer break of college," Peter said as he kept drawing Shuri from memory "I had just broken up with my ex when I saw her, buried in concentration in a book about mechanical engineering and quantum stability. She was- is- the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I was so scared to screw things up I ran away instead of approaching her. Thankfully, she noticed me without me realising and the next thing I know, I’m on a date with the most amazing person to ever exist on this universe."

"She sounds like she’s something else," Steve said with a warm smile, understanding the feeling completely.

"Have you ever felt this way?" Peter asked, with his big brown eyes, so much like Tony, open and vulnerable, hope written all over his face.

"Yeah," Steve answered with a sigh "when I met your Dad."

Strange and Quill exchanged a look, and not for the first time wondered how things had gone down between Steve and Tony as it was clear there were still feelings on both parts.

Musing over Steve’s answer, Peter decided to go for it.

"Can you tell me a little about the summer you guys spent with my Dad?" Peter asked, full of hope and trust in his eyes.

Neither one of the men had the heart to break this young kid’s heart, so of course, they said yes.

"It all began in the summer of 1998," Strange began telling, with his soothing voice accompanied by his guitar. 

Entranced, Peter listened.

 


	10. Waterloo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, but the chapters about Tony's relationship with Steve, Stephen and Quill are about to begin!!! 
> 
> This is unbeta (as the last three chapters) so, any mistake is mine. If you point them out, I'll be grateful, but please, don't be mean.

Stephen Strange had just graduated from college and was looking for an answer to all his problems. No matter how hard he tried, nothing seemed like the right answer for him, as the world was big and there were a lot of possibilities to explore.

He, alongside his friends Wong and Mordo, decided to form a band called “The Sorcerers of New York” during their time in college, and not to be too prideful but they were pretty good and had a decent number of fans. 

Their success was enough that a label company had invited them to tour across Europe, starting in London and ending in Paris. Stephen knew that right after the tour he’d have to follow his father’s steps and go to grad school to be an accountant, so he had decided to enjoy his life at the fullest in the upcoming months.

It was one night after a gig when he found himself surrounded by his friends and some groupies, but for some inexplicable reason, he could feel that’s not where he was meant to be. Following his gut, he said goodbye to his friends and the ladies and began walking home in a starry night.

The city was mostly quiet, as it was somewhat late at night, but if you paid close attention you could hear the ambulance sirens, the laughter and joy of the party in the distance. A smile appeared on his face and he could hear himself humming alongside the rhythm of the music.

Suddenly, a scream pulled him out of his thoughts, as the person in question sounded distressed.

“C’mon!” the voice, with a deep and rich tone underneath the anger, exclaimed, “you can’t do this to me right now!”

Stephen was torn between ignoring the voice and going after them, as it could be a potential danger for him, Paris wasn’t entirely mugger free. However, listening to his gut for the second time that night, he decided to seek the voice and see what was going on.

Turning around the corner he found a young man, no more than 24, fighting with an old bike, screaming at it and hitting it with a wrench. Stephen questioned where the young man had found a wrench in the middle of the night but decided not to press the matter as there were more concerning issues.

“Is everything alright?” he asked, calmly, not wanting to scare the other man, which he inevitably did.

Surprised, the smaller man turned to look at Strange with his big eyes wide open, wrench in hand above his head and mouth slightly opened. Stephen found the sight adorable, as the young man looked like a deer caught in the headlights and scared.

“My name is Stephen Strange, and I can help you,” the man said extending his hand and offering it for the other man to shake.

“Oh, really?” the man replied with a smirk and an eyebrow raised, ignoring Stephen’s hand. How’s that?”

“Just tell me what I can do to help, and I’ll do so,” Stephen answered earnestly, as he lowered his hand and looked around, embarrassed, earning a baffled expression from the other man.

“There’s nothing for you to help me with,” the man answered with a shrug, turning his back to Stephen once more, “I’m fine.”

“Then what did that bike do for you to be hitting it so badly?” Stephen asked, not buying it for a second.

“It stopped functioning,” the man said, nonchalantly.

“I can call a mechanic so they can fix it,” Stephen offered sincerely, which caused a snort from the other man. “What?” he asked, a little offended.

“I **KNOW** how to fix a bike,” the man said sounding smug, “that’s not the problem.”

“Then what is it?” Stephen asked, approaching slowly the younger man.

“I hurt myself while fixing the bike,” the boy said while looking away, clearly uncomfortable of sharing a weakness.

“Let me see,” Stephen said as he stood right next to the man.

“Are you a doctor?” the man asked, holding the arm that didn’t have the wrench close to him.

“No, but I’ve always wanted to,” Stephen surprised himself by answering honestly, he had never told anyone about it, not even Wong.

“Okay,” the man replied, offering his arm with caution. “I’m Tony, by the way,” the younger man added with a small smile.

“Nice to meet you Tony,” Strange said with a smile of his own.

They stood still for a while, Tony stewing in nervousness at having another man so close to him and Stephen concentrated in the wound of Tony’s arm. It wasn’t quite deep, but it was nasty and could potentially develop an infection if not taken care of properly.

“I have in my hotel room the things I need to take care of your wound,” Strange said, ignoring the flinch in Tony’s face and the tension in his shoulders.

“That’s really not necessary,” Tony replied, uncomfortable.

“It’s no problem,” Stephen said as he turned around, trying to comfort the man, only to notice how stiff and uncomfortable he looked. “Hey,” he said softly, carefully approaching Tony like one approaches a wounded animal, “I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to help you.”

“Yeah, right,” Tony answered bitterly, “so everyone says.”

“I promise you my intentions are pure,” Stephen said with a comforting smile. “No funny business.”

“How can I believe you?” Tony asked with concern. “Musicians only want one thing.”

Looking puzzled, Stephen turned around to see he was carrying his guitar on his back and Tony was eyeing it suspiciously like the guitar had done something horrible to him.

“Not this one,” he said honestly. “I’m not like other musicians.”

“That’s what they always say,” Tony muttered, mockingly.

“Well, every musician is known to have multiple ladies in bed at night, but not me.”

“You have men?” Tony asked with sarcasm.

“I have neither,” he said with a shrug. “I’m a virgin,” he added after an awkward beat.

For a while, neither of them talked, but after a sigh, Tony relaxed and drifted closer to Stephen.

“I’ll go with you,” he said offering a small smile in return.

“Thank you, Tony,” Stephen said from the heart. “Now, let’s go to get you better.”

Not wanting to let go, Stephen intertwined their fingers and began to walk alongside Tony, earning a roll of the eyes and a snort from the other man. But he didn’t let go, and that counted as a win to Strange. 

As they walked towards the hotel, Stephen told Tony all about his life, about his father’s wishes, his friend’s want for a band, his own insecurities, everything. He talked and talked like never before, even while he was patching Tony, explaining to the man what he was doing and how to take proper care of the wound.

The best part was that, even though Tony wasn’t actively sharing, he was listening intently to Stephen, asking the right questions in the right moment to not let the conversation die. They talked and talked until they were both lying in bed, facing each other, laughing carefree about their lives.

“What about you?” Stephen asked after a while, noticing that Tony hadn’t said anything about himself.

“What about me?” Tony asked in return, with a wide smile and flirty eyes.

“What are you doing in Paris?” Strange asked with a soft smile.

“Same as you, finding my way,” Tony replied in a whisper, looking at the ceiling and resting his head on his arm. “But I have a feeling it’s in Italy.”

“Why Italy?” Strange asked, confused.

“I don’t know,” Tony said with a shrug, “but I’ll know it when I get there.”

They both stayed silent after that, lost in their own minds. Stephen thought Tony was not only incredibly attractive but funny, charming, witty and with a special spark he hadn’t seen in anyone before. A fluttering feeling appeared in his chest, and wanting to follow it, Stephen talked.

“I really like you, Tony,” Stephen said with passion. “Spend the night with me.”

Tony laughed, amused at Stephen’s words and frantic look.

“You’re quite handsome yourself too,” Tony replied after a moment, “but I’m not that type of man.”

“Tony…” Stephen replied, only to be shushed by Tony with a kiss.

It was nothing extraordinary, just a quick peck on the lips, but Stephen could feel in his heart that this was the beginning of something great.

“I can’t stay, Stephen,” Tony answered as he pulled away from the kiss. “My future is waiting for me and I can’t wait to see what holds for me.”

“But you don’t know that,” Stephen said, seeing as Tony was going to go away and never return.

“That’s the beauty of it,” he said with a smile as he leaned again and kiss him on the lips once more. 

Both men fell asleep, cuddled while a storm ran outside, sheltered and protected in each other’s arms. The next morning, Tony was gone, and Stephen wake up with a note beside him:

_ Stephen, _

_ I’m don’t usually write things like this, but you’re special in your own way. I really hope you find your way and your own path, away from your father wishes and what everyone else wants from you.  _

_ You’re brighter than you think. _

_ Love,  _

_ Tony _

And, after reading that letter, Stephen knew he had to follow Tony to Italy.

…

It wouldn’t be until a few weeks later, though, as he didn’t have enough money to buy a ticket right away. No, he had to sell most of his t-shirts, including his favourite one with the logo of his band, and explain to his friends why he had to go.

Clearly mad, but understanding there was no way to stop him, both Mordo and Wong gave him their blessing to go after Tony, giving him a small amount of money to buy the returning ticket in case things didn’t go the way he wanted them to go.

When he arrived in Italy, it took a couple more days for him to find Tony, who looked torn apart and with a haunted look in his eyes. He was walking down the street, with a stutter in his walk that let Stephen know there was something going on inside of him.

“Tony!” he exclaimed at the sight of the man, longing in his heart finally settled 

“Stephen?” Tony asked, not expecting to run into the young musician again. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” Stephen answered with a smile. “I was not ready to say goodbye.”

And to his surprise and delight, Tony threw himself at his arms, both literally and figuratively.

That night, after hours and hours of passion and tender care, with laughing and talking in between, both men laid naked on the sheets, while the night outside lulled them to peace and quiet.

“You should go to med school,” Tony said in the middle of the silence.

“What are you talking about?” Stephen asked, rolling to his side, resting his head on his hand, looking at Tony. 

“The way you look when you’re talking about anything related to medicine,” he said with a shrug, “It lights something in you, something your band and accounting doesn’t.”

“And what about you?” Stephen said as he caressed Tony’s cheek, “Have you found your way?”

“Yeah, I think I have,” he said with a smile, right before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

Stephen watched Tony asleep for a while, admiring how peaceful and young the man looked in his sleep. He knew there was something going on with Tony, but he wouldn’t push, they’d have time later.

“You should have my guitar, Tony,” he said as he rested in the bed and closed his eyes. “I won’t be needing it in med school and I want you to remember me.”

The next morning Tony was gone as well as his guitar, and this time, Stephen didn’t follow him. He knew they both have found their destiny and sadly, it wasn’t meant to be with one another.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure when the next update will be, sorry in advance.


	11. Why Did It Have To Be Me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day?!?!?! What???
> 
> I know right, but I was inspired and said: "why not?"
> 
> Hope you like it!

Peter Quill had everything he wanted in life, a boat to sail the seven seas and a desire to see the world. As he was fixing his boat for a trip around the Mediterranean,  a young man appeared running across the port, yelling for the ferry to stop.

“Stop! Wait for me!” the young man yelled as he ran, waving his arms in the air to catch the ferry attention. “Come on!”

As the man was running, various items from his bag had fallen into the shore, leaving a trail of clothes that lead to him. The man clearly hadn’t noticed, but Quill, intrigued, decided to gather them for the guy.

He was a handsome man, with brown hair messy and pointing everywhere, as he had just gotten out of bed in order to catch the boat, but looked smooth enough that Quill wanted nothing more but to pass his hands through that hair. His olive skin glowed under the sun, making it look soft and tender. He was slim and fit, with muscles clearly showing in his arms, a slight curve on his hips and really nice ass. A shiver passed through his spine and he knew he had to talk to him.

“Kinda glad you didn’t get on that boat, otherwise I would’ve had to chase you down,” Quill said as he approached the young man, who in return turned around to look at him.

And boy, if he was handsome from behind, up close and upfront? He was gorgeous. With soft, plushy red full lips, brown eyes who could make you get lost for days and eyelashes longer than Quill’s will to be chill. He felt weak on the knees and had to take a deep breathe, lost in this guy’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, what?” Quill asked as he noticed that the man in front of him had spoken and he had just stared at him like a weirdo. But instead of being freaked out, the guy chuckled and shook his head.

“I asked you what did you mean by that?” the man repeated, amused.

“Oh well, I don’t know if I can rock your outfit as well as you can, but I can try,” Quill said as he showed the man the clothes he had in his hand.

“Oh, thank you so much!” the man said as he grabbed the clothes and hugged them close to his chest “I would’ve been lost without them.”

“More the reason to chase you, gorgeous,” Quill flirted, delighted to see the man blushing at his compliment. 

“Yeah, well… thanks,” the man said as he turned away, only to turn to face him one more. “Do you happen to know when the next boat to Caligari sails?”

“Right now!” Peter replied before his brain could stop him. While he could certainly stop at Caligari, and check up on Yondu in the island in the way, the truth is that that little journey could delay his little trip around the Mediterranean and other plans he had in mind. But looking at the gorgeous young man, he decided a little trip could wait, a new adventure had just appeared and he was definitely going to take it.

“What do you mean right now? There’s not a ferry on sight,” the man replied, puzzled.

“I was talking about my boat, the Milano,” Peter said as he pointed towards the blue-orange boat at his side. “I’m heading that way before taking on a trip around the Mediterranean.”

“Why?” the brunette asked, sceptical.

“I have family on the island,” Quill answered with a shrug, oddly concerned about easing the man’s worries. He wanted the guy to trust him, and the weirdest part? He wanted to earn that trust and treasure it forever. “I’m Peter, by the way, Peter Quill.”

“I’m Tony,” the young man replied as he offered his hand, which Quill gladly accepted.

After introductions were made, Peter and Tony hopped on the boat, ready to get to Caligari. At first, Quill tried to make a pass on Tony, as he was not only gorgeous and hot but witty and funny. However, Tony was not interested.

“The main bed's over there,” Quill said as he pointed towards his room. “And there’s a bed here as you can see, but is where I put all my stuff so…”

“So you only have one bed,” Tony said with an amused smile.

“Yes,” Quill replied, trying to sound apologetic.

“How convenient,” Tony murmured, eying the place.

Quill, seeing that Tony looked uncomfortable with sharing a bed, decided to change tactics. He wasn’t an asshole, thank you very much.

“Which is why you’ll sleep there and I’ll take the couch, I mean, they’re my stuff and I don’t want you going there and breaking them by accident,” he said smugly, which earned him a muffled laugh from Tony.

As days went by aboard the Milano, and Caligari looking closer by the minute, Peter found his initial attraction towards Tony morphing into something more… complex, something that words couldn’t help him to describe. He was more relaxed around Quill than when they first met, but he was still guarded and careful. Not wanting to invade his privacy, Quill mostly left him to himself but every once in a while he would catch himself stealing glances at Tony, who had decided to help on the ship as payment for Quill’s offer for a ride. Watching Tony work, focused and decided, stirred something in him, something no man or woman had ever awaken on him.

At night, when the boat and they needed to rest, they would lay on the boat, looking at the stars and sharing stories about their lives, laughing and becoming friends. Peter could feel something growing inside of him, but he decided to remain quiet, as Tony was clearly oblivious, too excited and thrilled about the future to notice him.

Sadly, all journeys must come to an end.

“Welcome to Caligari!” was the first thing Peter said when Tony appeared above deck, freshly woken up from his sleep. He was gorgeous under the sun, with bed hair and sleepy eyes, yawning and stretching all over the place. 

“Coffee,” was all Tony could muster before disappearing into the cabin once more.

After a while he came back, with a cup of coffee on his hands and moaning like it was the greatest elixir he had ever encountered, making Quill chuckle with fondness.

“It’s more gorgeous than I ever imagined,” Tony said as he watched the island unfold right in front of him, his eyes lost in wonder and wistfulness. 

Seeing Tony like that made Peter came to a decision. While originally his plan had been to wander around the Mediterranean and explore the place, after meeting Tony he had had a change of heart. Instead of the Mediterranean and adventure, he would take on the European race, gain some cash with the winning price and come back for Tony, so together they could explore the seven seas and live adventure together, maybe even managing to make Tony fall in love with him.

On the island, Peter took Tony to The Ravagers, the tavern of the town, where his father Yondu ran the place alongside his friends, Rocket and Gamora. After introductions were made and beer was served, Peter asked Yondu to keep Tony safe and keep an eye on him, to which Yondu agreed not before making fun of his son.

“I’ll be back in three weeks!” Peter said as he grabbed Tony and took him outside, ready to say goodbye. “You think you’ll manage without me?”

“I’ll try,” Tony replied with a smile and a brief laugh. “Don’t worry about me!”

_ Too late for that _ , Peter thought before jumping aboard the Milano.

“Get back inside!” Peter warned as he sailed away, “a storm is coming!”

“The sun is literally shining above us!” Tony yelled in return, laughing and smiling before turning back inside.

With an uneasy feeling, Peter sailed away, his mind already back with Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the last of Peter and Tony! But I think it ended in a pretty good note already!
> 
> Now is Steve's time and that I'm not sure when is going to be ready.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	12. Andante, Andante

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? New chapter? After all this time? Who would've thought? 
> 
> I'm sorry I hadn't had time to update, but I'm trying, I promise I am.
> 
> This chapter deals with some of the things that happened in Tony's not so great childhood thanks to Howard, and talks a little about Tony being transgender male, as many people have questioned me how Tony got pregnant with Peter.
> 
> It also deals with some of Steve's PTSD after the war, so if you're triggered by any of these topics, please be careful while reading.
> 
> Also, I am no expert on the subject of transgender people, which is why I won't go deeper into it but if you want to read a story where it is dealt more, I seriously recommend the series [ Transparent ](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1127072) by [ Jack Monroe. ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/birbboy/pseuds/Jack%20Monroe)

Steve was the man with a plan, or more accurately a life that had been planned for him, as he stood, frozen on his place, not knowing what to do. Sure, he loved Sharon, a calm, easy feeling that had been there between the two of them since the first time they had laid eyes on each other; and of course, he was excited to work in his father’s Architecture studio, a position that had been assigned to him since the minute he was born.

But, on the other hand, since the day his parents had set a date to the wedding, two weeks before his first day at the firm, had a feeling inside his heart that told him there was something out there waiting for him. A life of adventure. A challenge no one but him could take.

And he was not a man known to back down from a challenge.

With a heavy heart, he asked his parents, Sarah and Joseph Rogers, to give him some time off before the wedding. He had saved money throughout the years and had enough money to go on a little vacation, away from everything, just for him to think and embrace what life had in mind for him.

“Is just something I have to do,” Steve said to his parents after dinner.

“But why?” Joseph said, puzzled “why postpone your future?”

_Because I’m not sure that’s who I am_ , Steve thought, surprising himself. But as he thought it, truer it rang in his ears. For years, he had played the part everyone wanted him to be: perfect son, perfect student, the perfect soldier, perfect boyfriend, perfect everything.

But no one knew about the nightmares, no one knew how much he hated the cold, or loud sounds, or how much he dreaded the idea of being intimate with Sharon and her seeing his scars.

He was alone, and that just made him surer this trip was what he had to do, which Sarah Rogers, as perceptive as she was, dropped her husband’s hand and held her son’s instead, tight and warm, a calm presence in Steve’s troubled mind.

“If this is what you need to do, do it,” she said in a calm voice, reassuring her son, “but you have to be honest with Sharon, you have to be the one to tell her what’s going on”.

Steve had a feeling his mother knew more than she was letting on but happy at the possibility of being away, he held her in his arms and planted a kiss on her forehead.

“I will, Ma,” he said with a more relaxed smile, making Sarah’s heart clench. Her son was not happy, and he couldn’t even tell it. “Thanks for everything”.

…

Talking to Sharon was easier than Steve would’ve expected, as she understood they needed some time apart before the wedding, as they had been together for quite a while, _7 years Steve, it was about time,_ and it would make the wedding night that more special.

Steve would never admit it, but he felt nauseated at the thought of being intimate with someone after what had happened and had been using several excuses for not doing it, “I’m about to start physical therapy, Sharon”, “I’m really tired Sharon”, “I’m waiting for the wedding”.

Is not that he was a virgin, after all, they’ve been together since college, but he just couldn’t. It wasn’t in him anymore. With her or with anyone.

However, after he had kissed her goodbye and walked away, Steve couldn’t help but feel like a weight had been lifted from his chest and he could finally breathe.

...

Bucky and Sam, on their part, were the ones who understood him the most, as they had been by his side through everything. But that also meant they had concerns of their own.

“Stevie, I’ve been telling you for a while,” Bucky said as they were saying goodbye to Steve at the airport. He had only told his best friends where and when he was going, Caligari, a little island next to Italy and exactly what he needed, “You shouldn’t marry Sharon.”

“Bucky…” Steve sighed, tired of hearing his best friend not approving of his fiancée, which worried him, as he thought they got along just fine.

“I don’t have anything against her” Bucky said with a huff, as if he could read his thoughts, “is you who doesn’t love her.”

“Of course, I love her!” Steve screeched, offended, “She’s the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.”

Bucky and Sam shared a looked but said nothing. They both knew Steve only loved the companion Sharon brought him, and that they both deserved better. But it was not their place. And maybe, after the trip, Steve would realise on his own.

Before any men could say anything, a voice in the speakers announced that the flight to Italy was close to departure.

“Better get going, Cap,” Sam said as he hugged his brother in anything but blood.

“Yeah,” Bucky said as he hugged him as well, “a life of adventure is waiting for you.”

Steve chuckled at that, the last thing he wanted was exciting and impulsive things. Waving goodbye to his friends as he crossed the security checkpoint, he shook his head. What he wanted was some peace and quiet, alone time to think and get himself together before the wedding. Not an adventure.

...

“Help! Someone!” Steve heard someone yelling making him shake to his core, instead of the pouring rain that was happening. He turned down the road, and right in the middle of it he saw a young man, in his early twenties, completely wet, and shaking, but with fear written in his eyes.

“How can I help?” Steve asked as he stopped the bicycle he was riding.

“Follow me!” the young man said before running towards the farm, leaving Steve alone with his worries.

As fast as he could, Steve parked his bike outside the farm, hidden between some trees so the rain wouldn’t damage it more, and followed the man inside, hearing some loud noises. Prepared for the worst, and remembering all his training, he put himself in attack mode, and much to his surprise, as he turned the corner, he found a frightened horse close to the young man.

“You happen to know anything about calming horses?” the man asked as he slowly approached the wild animal with calming gestures.

“Yes, of course,” Steve said sarcastically as he searched for anything useful in his brain.

“Really?” the man asked as he turned around and looked at Steve with curiousness written in his eyes, making Steve’s heart jump in his chest.

“No, I’m an architect” he answered honestly as he approached the other man.

“Oh,” the man said, as he turned around once more, “you take care of the horse and I’ll calm it, then” he added, stubbornly.

“Okay, okay,” Steve said with an amused smile.

“First, you have to put the saddle...” the young man began saying before being interrupted by Steve.

“What’s a saddle?” Steve asked as he looked uncertainty at everything around him.

“Forget it,” the man said with an amused tone, “I’ll take care of him, you calm him.”

As Steve began talking to the horse to calm it down, he realised the other man was done and was looking at him with laughter in his eyes. And Steve thought, not for the first time, that he was truly a piece of art, worth painting to try and capture his beauty.

“Thanks for your help…” the man began saying after being interrupted once more by an eager Steve.

“I’m Steve,” he said, numbly, incapable of words at the sight of the man under the moonlight.

“Steve,” the man said carefully, as if tasting the name on his lips, making the aforementioned shiver, “I’m Tony” he added, with a small smile.

“Nice to meet you,” Steve said breathlessly, with a shy smile.

“Likewise,” Tony said with a full grin, making Steve’s knees weak.

...

The rain had stopped, but Tony didn’t want to leave the horse alone in the night, so Steve offered to keep him company until morning, which Tony didn’t decline, and Steve felt something warm in his chest at the prospect of spending more time with this mysterious man.

Seeing Tony shiver, Steve was quick on his feet to make themselves a fire, to keep them warm throughout the night and give them some light in the darkness. They weren’t far from the cabin Steve had rented, but as he wanted to keep this magical moment as it was, and not offend the handsome man, Tony, in front of him, Steve said nothing.

However, as wet as he was, he needed to get rid of some clothes, and without thinking, he took off his shirt and throw it near the fire, so at least it could be somewhat dried. Concentrated on the fire, he almost missed Tony’s gasp, and embarrassed, started to get up to get his jacket, near his bike.

“I know, I’m sorry, I should’ve…” he began saying before being interrupted.

“You’re beautiful,” Tony said in a whisper, “I mean, I… you don’t look whatever it is you’re thinking,” Tony said louder, and without looking at him, Steve knew he was embarrassed, “is just…”

“Ugly?” Steve asked with a self-deprecating tone.

“Painful” Tony said, startling Steve. He wasn’t in pain, not at least in the physical way, but he still could feel the fire in his skin, burning and breaking everything at its path.

“It was,” Steve said with a soft voice, still frozen in place.

“What happened to you?” Tony asked in a quiet voice, a hand stretched in front of him as if he wanted to touch Steve. Steve surprised himself again, hoping for that hand to touch him and caress him and make him feel loved. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, of course not, but if you…”

“It’s okay, it was a long time ago” Steve began saying as he sat down once more, “I was in the Army and there was an explosion, everyone was caught off guard, there wasn’t much time and… and...” Steve began shaking at the memory, everything so loud, so bright, so cold. He hugged his knees close to his chest and held himself back from screaming.

“ _Take it easy with me, please_ ” Tony began singing as he caressed Steve shoulder, just above the scars, coming closer and closer to Steve as he discovered more skin. “ _Touch me gently like a summer evening breeze_ ,” he said, and Steve thought that that was exactly like Tony was touching him, it was not even sexual, more like… exploring, bringing peace and comfort. “ _Take your time, make it slow, andante andante, just make the feeling grow._ ”

Steve leaned into Tony’s touch, and as he kept singing, he could feel himself getting more and more relaxed. Grateful and with a sense of peace he hadn’t felt in a while, he turned to look at Tony, but when he caught sight of those beautiful, big brown eyes, he felt his heart beat faster and his breath gone, but now not from panic. _I trust him_ , he thought before he started to tell Tony everything, he had kept inside him for so long.

...

Hours passed before Steve was done, only to realise his cheeks were wet and Tony’s eyes were shining with tears, tears for him. He wanted to reach him and pull him into his arms and never let him go, but as he looked Tony closer, he could see Tony was about to speak and share something with me.

“I may not have been in the Army, but I do have experience with scars and nightmares,” Tony said as he lifted his shirt to reveal a binder and beneath it a series of scars that look frighteningly similar to cigar burns, “courtesy of dear old Dad.”

“He did that to you?!?” Steve asked, concern filling his voice,

“Not exactly,” Tony replied vaguely, as he let go of his shirt, “but he knew and never cared” he added, shrugging nonchalantly. And even though they literally had just met, Steve could see that despite Tony’s “indifference”, he was actually suffering.

Following his gut, he brought Tony closer to him and wrapped him in his arms, holding him close and not wanting to let go. Tony, on his part, just held tighter, and Steve could feel him relaxing and sobbing in his arms.

They said nothing, but for the remaining of the night, they knew it was what they both needed.

…

As the sun began rising, and Tony had made sure once more that the horse was calmed, they began their walk downtown, sharing bits and pieces of their pasts. Steve learned about Jarvis, Tony’s father figure, who encouraged him through everything and the only person besides Bruce, Clint and Rhodey to know where he was. On his part, Tony learned about Sarah and Joseph Rogers, both hardworking people who after years of struggling and somewhat poverty, they had built by themselves Rogers’ Architecture firm, one of the most respectable firms in the USA and some parts of Europe.

“Bucky was furious, mad at me and the guy who had called me “wet blanket”,” Steve said, remembering the time Bucky found him in the middle of a fight behind the movie theatre. “I just told him to shut up during an enlistment add and the next thing I know we’re fighting in an alley.”

Meanwhile, Tony was laughing, loud and effortlessly, making Steve’s heart flutter in return.

“What kind of name is Bucky?” he said between laughs, “and wet blanket? Is your neighbourhood in the ’20s or what?” he said with a taunting smile.

Steve shrugged, “what can I say? It happened” he added as Tony crossed the doors of The Ravagers, which by this time was mostly deserted, only an old man with a mohawk whistling, a short man who looked angry at everything and a very tall woman who looked like she could murder you in your sleep.

Steve gulped, unsure about his surroundings, wondering how Tony had known about this place.

“Tony!” the woman exclaimed, a shadow of a smile crossing her face at the sight of the smaller man, “good to see you again.”

“Hey Gamora” Tony replied, “this is my friend Steve” he added, pointing at Steve, “Steve, meet Gamora, the deadliest woman in town,” he claimed with a smile.

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Steve said courteously, making the woman lift an eyebrow in question.

“No need to be so uptight,” the old man said as he approached them, “good to see you back, Tony” he expressed as he patted Tony in the back.

“Yondu!” Tony exclaimed, a smile breaking his face, “do you have some of your amazing pancakes with bacon yet?” he asked with his big brown eyes wide open, looking like the puppy Steve desired when he was a kid but couldn’t have due to his asthma, No more asthma Steve, you’re big and strong now.

“Who’s this fancy guy Tony?” asked the other man, looking like a racoon with those big eye bags underneath his eyes.

“His name is Steve, Rocket” Tony answered, amused at his friend’s tone, “I met him last night when Groot was trapped by the storm.”

“Groot was trapped?” Rocket asked, all teasing having left his voice.

“Not anymore” Tony replied calmly, “Steve here helped me keep him calm so I could make sure he was safe. We stayed there all night keeping an eye on him before leaving to come and tell you.”

“Thank you,” Rocket said, with a gruff and angry voice, “both of you, thank you.”

Unsure of what to do, Steve said the first thing that came to mind, “no problem.”

Coughing, Rocket looked away and pulled himself together, “I’ll go check on him, then.”

Before he knew, he was sharing a large breakfast with a strange bunch of people, but as he relaxed, he realised he hadn’t felt this carefree and fun in well… his entire life. Rocket came back, with Groot on his toes, and made himself and the horse a little space at the table, much to no one’s surprise.

And as Tony kept talking and talking about mechanics and engineering, Steve could only look at him in marvel and pray, that he had more time alongside this man.

_I have to tell Tony_ , he thought worriedly, but before he could say anything Tony was up, laughing while dancing at the tunes of Yondu, Rocket and Gamora’s song, and just like that, every other thought that wasn't **Tony** slipped out of his mind. He only had eyes, mind and soul for the young man in front of him, and without a care, he stood up and joined him at the dance floor.

...

Hours later, having said their goodbyes to Yondu, Rocket and Gamora, Steve and Tony walked side by side towards Steve’s cabin. As they were walking, their hands were brushing the other, shy touches here and there until Steve gather enough courage to hold Tony’s hand.

The small man blushed in the dark, but feeling bolder than ever, Tony stood on his toes and placed a soft kiss on Steve’s cheek, making the other man blush in return. The rest of the walk was spent in silence, with Tony leaning towards Steve and their hands connected.

Finally, they stood in front of Steve’s cabin, just looking intensely at each other, sparks flying between them and a charged air that they both were breathing. Steve, wanting not to live his life in the “what if” leaned towards Tony and placed a peck on his lips, making him smile.

“I have to tell you something,” Tony said, not looking at him but at the ground, playing with the hem of his shirt.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Steve said as he held Tony from his hips.

“The problem is that I want to,” Tony whispered, “but you might not.”

“I’d have to be crazy to say no to you” Steve whispered as he lifted Tony’s face. This man was driving him crazy.

“I just… I,” Tony struggled with words, but seeing his resolve, Steve decided not to interrupt, “I’m transgender. My birth name is Antonia, but I’m Tony, I’ve never identified with it and I’m trying to change, I really am, I just need some money to the surgery and…”

“Hey, hey,” Steve said, holding Tony closer to him, “You’re Tony and there’s nothing wrong with being who you are.” He smiled softly, before saying “I find you a really sexy guy, and I want more than just sex, so if you don’t want to do anything, I won’t be mad, I promise you that. It’s your body, your rules.”

Tony pulled him back in, making the kiss much less innocent than before, but so full of promises and things unsaid, Steve couldn’t help but become trapped by it. Next thing he knows, he’s panting, Tony’s lips bruised by their kissing and a fire in his eyes like he hasn’t seen in anyone before.

“Yes,” Tony whispers before uniting their lips once more.

Breaking the kiss, Steve looks deeply into Tony’s eyes for an answer and after seeing it clearly in his brown eyes, Steve carried Tony bridal style towards the cabin, and as they step inside, Steve saw the stars and wished that this moment with Tony in his arms would last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Feel free to leave any comments and whatever questions or anything you like to say!!


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